Fights force Texans and Redskins to stop joint practice session

A joint practice session involving the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins erupted into a series of fights, forcing the two teams to finish their workouts on separate fields during a rainy Saturday in Richmond, Va.

The Texans and Redskins had been practicing together since Thursday. After fights broke out on both fields following a series of plays, Texans Coach Bill O’Brien and Redskins Coach Jay Gruden separated their teams and completed a wet and wild day on their own.

Washington defensive lineman Chris Baker said Houston players were upset because “we kicked their butt yesterday so they came out here trying to be tough guys today, but it really didn’t work. They had a rough day yesterday so they wanted to try to set the tone, but that’s not going to happen here.”

Houston linebacker Whitney Mercilus did not disagree with Baker’s assessment of Friday’s outcome at practice but chalked up the altercations to “a whole lot of intensity on both sides of the ball.”

Houston’s veteran receiver Cecil Shorts III summed up the fisticuffs this way:

“When two teams have been practicing for a while against each other, tempers flare. … We kind of figured something was going to happen and we prepared for it. We did a good job staying together. Nobody got hurt. It’s over with. Let’s move on.”

Wire and Internet reports contributed to this story.