The Vikings had a pair of practice scuffles on Monday, and coach Mike explained afterward that he has no problem with that. The Ravens, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, had six of them during a Monday night practice at their home stadium. Harbaugh expressed a slightly milder degree of concern about the melees.
“This is football. We have to build a football team,” Harbaugh said, via Hensley. “A bunch of young guys that like to play and want to get after it and have a lot of pride. It’s a tough game. I did like the spirit and physicality.”
The fights included one that injured tight end Dennis Pitta. Another got under the skin of the typically cool Joe Flacco. One between linebacker Za’Darius Smithand offensive lineman Ryan Jensen got Harbaugh’s attention because it involved the throwing of punches and the emergence of a penalty flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.
“The ability to be a tough, physical football player and a smart football player go hand-in-hand, so you have to know where to draw the line,” Harbaugh said. “It’s between the lines, between the whistles. That’s where the game is played, and you understand that’s where the physicality happens, between the whistles, and you’ve got to know when to walk away.”
It’s even more important this year, given the rule that requires an automatic ejection for certain types of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties that occur within the same game. Beyond that, each personal foul gives up a large chunk of field position to the other team.
