Chargers, Saints defenses pull off picture-perfect interceptions during their joint practice

There was a pick followed by a pose followed by another pick and another pose.

And so the debate raged Wednesday as the Chargers and New Orleans Saints shared the same practice field but held different views of their joint takeaway celebration.

“Oh, we started it,” Chargers safety Jahleel Addae said. “You saw we did it first today.”

They certainly did, the Chargers gathering to commemorate Desmond King’s interception of Drew Brees to end a two-minute drill.

The players, as has been their practice going back to last season, marked the occasion by dancing before freezing and pretending to pose for a group photo.

This is the same general custom several Saints defenders have been known to observe under comparable circumstances.

Sure enough, just a couple minutes later Wednesday, New Orleans defensive back Marcus Williams intercepted Philip Rivers in the two-minute offense and all the Saints gathered ’round.

The two opposing secondary groups came together briefly, but all that resulted was a lot of smiling and playful helmet taps.

“It was all love,” Addae said. “Obviously, we’ve heard that they said they started it first. We said we started it first. We both got an opportunity to do it today. It was all fun and games.”

That’s about as emotional as the joint practice became as these teams worked out as one for the second consecutive year.

The Chargers and Saints will practice one more time Thursday before meeting at 5 p.m. Saturday at StubHub Center for their third preseason game.

“A little more tempo than a normal practice,” Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said. “I thought it was good. No fighting.”

The other defensive highlights for the Chargers included a strip sack of Brees by Melvin Ingram and interceptions by Kyzir White and Michael Davis.

White and fellow rookie linebacker Uchenna Nwosu worked extensively with the top defense in passing situations, as did rookie safety Derwin James.

“All those guys are getting better,” Lynn said. “We’ll see. We’ll see come Sept. 9 where they’re at. Some of those guys you might find in the starting lineup.”

White, a fourth-round pick out of West Virginia, was a safety in college but has been moved to linebacker. He played a team-high 39 snaps in the first preseason game against Arizona. Sore knees kept White out of the Chargers’ second exhibition.

“He’s got really good speed and good length,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “He’s heavy handed. He’s a guy that we’re trying to speed up his learning curve a little bit. We’re seeing what he can handle right now.”

On offense, rookie wide receiver Mike Williams continued to impress, making several notable catches in team and individual drills.

But it was an otherwise pedestrian-looking pass to new tight end Virgil Green that had Rivers fired up afterward.

“It wasn’t an unbelievable play,” he explained. “But Virgil and I haven’t made that play, you know?”

The two connected for what would have been about a 10-yard gain, an advance that meant little Wednesday but could prove to be enormous on a future Sunday.

“To me, it was a huge deal,” Rivers said. “Now I know, if we get in the game and that happens, I have the confidence to throw it. … Those are the kinds of plays when you’re with guys you haven’t been with a lot that are a big deal for me.”

Green spent the first seven seasons of his career with Denver before joining the Chargers in March as a free agent.

Etc.

Right tackle Joe Barksdale went down briefly with what appeared to be a leg injury. He was able to return but was moving somewhat gingerly afterward. … Defensive end Joey Bosa (foot), cornerback Casey Hayward (hamstring) and wide receiver Tyrell Williams (foot) were among the Chargers who didn’t practice. … Kicker Caleb Sturgis went seven for seven on field goals with a long of 53 yards toward the end of practice. He is competing with Roberto Aguayo. …The Chargers signed running back Terrell Watson, who played at Oxnard High and Azusa Pacific and waived linebacker James Onwualu.

jeff.miller@latimes.com