A Different Intensity
In practice, players aren’t being fully tackled to the ground — Glenn calls that intensity “thud competitive.”
“That’s when we have the pads on and what I want our guys to do, any runner that’s in the box, or in the paint, listen we’re thudding them up, we’re stopping the ball,” Glenn explained. “The runners know it, and then they’re finishing their run.”
But the preseason game will bring out another level of physicality, and there’s a benefit to that, too.
“Just to get a few carries in whether it’s five plays, six plays and get some tackles to the ground, maybe get some blitz pressure and pick up another guy blitzing that’s trying to run through me and get a sack and everything like that,” RB Breece Hall said, excited to get tackled. “So I think it’s definitely good to get a little feel of it, a little taste of it.”
Added S Minkah Fitzpatrick: “You want to break in the shoulder pads, get a couple good tackles in, get a couple shocking sheds in.”
Fitzpatrick also noted a benefit of “developing chemistry” from a communication standpoint.