Joint practices often come with fireworks, as the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys proved — and were punished for.

Thursday’s joint practice between the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio, was feisty but won’t result in any fines. There was still plenty to discuss.

The Athletic’s Bills writer Joe Buscaglia and Browns writer Zac Jackson teamed up to break down the practice, including their overall impressions, biggest surprises, standout performers and what they’re looking forward to in Saturday’s preseason game between the teams.

Overall thoughts from practice on the team you cover?

Jackson: The Browns probably mostly feel good about their day of work. It was a much-needed day of punching way up from their current weight class and just getting full-speed reps. For a lot of the Browns’ starters, it might end up being the only time all month they face another team’s best lineup. The lower body injury suffered by defensive end Alex Wright appeared to be significant, and the defensive line has already been hit hard by injuries. The defense didn’t have a good day overall, which happens against that Josh Allen guy. But the Browns — who are miles from respectability in the bigger picture — represented themselves fairly well from my point of view.

DENIED ‼️@MHairston22 with the PBU. pic.twitter.com/f9PcFaLDLB

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 20, 2026

Buscaglia: I think the Bills were looking at this as their best opportunity to get work that simulates the regular season as best as possible, without putting Allen at risk of taking unnecessary contact. Especially with how many times the quarterback dealt with contact in their preseason opener, a more controlled environment was a welcomed change against another team. But it was also a chance to see how this version of the Bills would operate in a new setting under new head coach Joe Brady. Because it was against the Browns, who are a long way away from where the Bills have been as a perennial Super Bowl contender, there could have been some temptation to not take it as seriously as the Browns. The Bills, and Brady, passed that test as they played with energy and for the most part, pretty well on both sides of the ball.

Who was Thursday’s practice MVP for the team you cover, and why?

Jackson: KC Concepcion. The rookie wide receiver had the day’s two longest catches, and both were similar to the kinds of catches he’s been making over the course of camp. Concepcion and fellow rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston have juice the Browns just haven’t had at the position the last couple seasons, and both are off to strong starts. Concepcion shows both savvy and fearlessness going over the middle, traits that not every rookie wide receiver has – or wants to even try to put on display. He’s going to be a focal point of the offense when the season begins.

Buscaglia: I know, it’s boring, but Allen was outstanding for most of the practice and he got plenty of work — possibly the most team drill work he’s had all summer. Allen received six different sets of 11-on-11 reps throughout the practice and shined in his accuracy and decision making. Of all the things Allen will face in the buildup to the regular season, I’d argue today was his most difficult test. For one, the Browns defense is a very respectable unit even without Myles Garrett around anymore, and because it’s a practice setting rather than a preseason game, they were more apt to try different pressure packages than they would on Saturday. And two, the Bills were without four of their top nine receivers, as Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, rookie Skyler Bell and Dante Pettis all sat. Allen had a rotating cast of characters at receiver all practice, including some who won’t make the 53-man roster, and still had a highly effective day. If I had to guess, Allen did more than enough to warrant getting to rest during Saturday night’s preseason game.

What or who impressed you most about the opposing team?

Jackson: Allen throws rockets, the kind rarely seen on these Northeast Ohio practice fields the last several years (or decades). The Bills have a massive and experienced offensive line, too, and the tempo at which the whole offensive group operates demonstrates the difference between a real AFC contender and team still trying to find itself such as the Browns. The Buffalo secondary was feisty and competitive, too, which made for good work for the young Cleveland receiving corps. The Browns have a totally new offensive line and didn’t have starting running back Quinshon Judkins, but still had some good moments through multiple offensive drills.

Buscaglia: This is an easy answer: rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston. I was most interested to see how the Bills younger cornerbacks, Maxwell Hairston and Davison Igbinosun, would fare against someone who has drawn rave reviews so far through camp. Boston mostly got the better of those matchups, with Hairston taking the worse of it despite one solid pass break up near the end of practice. Boston even won his one-on-one against Bills top cornerback Christian Benford on a third-and-2, where Boston released off the line and got a step on Benford with an inside slant for an 8-yard gain to extend the drive. It was only one day for us seeing him, but the hype on Boston seemed warranted today.

What was the most revealing or memorable matchup or sequence from practice?

Jackson: Boston’s wins in the two-minute drill were important for the young receiver’s growing confidence. Earlier in practice, Igbinosun had celebrated a pass breakup against Boston before the back judge threw the flag and awarded the Browns a first down. The Bills’ sideline was openly mocking both Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson for throwing too many checkdowns early in practice, but the Browns ended up having as much success in the intermediate pass game as they’ve had in any session all summer.

defying gravity 👀 pic.twitter.com/wDLzjGD5FN

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 20, 2026

Buscaglia: I found it interesting that, during special teams drills, the Bills had their entire roster on their sideline with an emphasis on being as vocal as possible to increase the energy. Usually in special teams drills, the Bills will send all their non-essential special team players off to another part of the field to get some individual work in, but that wasn’t the case Thursday. The Browns had all of their non special teams players off elsewhere. But for the Bills, everyone including Josh Allen, was right there and heavily invested. That, plus nickel corner Jordan Hancock’s interception of Watson with nowhere in the general vicinity showed the very large difference between what the Bills have under center and what the Browns are dealing with in 2026.

Which player or players have the most to prove in Saturday’s preseason game?

Jackson: This is complicated — as most things involving the perpetual Browns quarterback carousel are. If coach Todd Monken hasn’t made up his mind, then Sanders gets one last chance to compete and make an impression. Because Monken probably has decided to go with Watson in a decision the first-year coach will surely regret sooner than later, then you have to look towards second-year players like running back Rocket Sanders and wide receiver Isaiah Bond as Saturday’s spotlight players. Monken repeated after practice that his Saturday plans haven’t changed: Sanders gets the first half and Watson will play the third quarter, though none of the team’s older starters will play (and the others won’t play much).

Buscaglia: I think it’s the Bills young defensive linemen who are fighting for playing time and for some, a spot on the 53-man roster. With starter Ed Oliver sitting out of Thursday’s practice, that means it’s quite likely he won’t play on Saturday either. Especially against a Browns offense still trying to find its way, the group of recent young draft investments that includes TJ Sanders (2025 second round), Landon Jackson (2025 third round), DeWayne Carter (2024 third round) and Zane Durant (2026 fifth round) is likely to get a bunch of time. It’s an especially imporatnt day for Sanders and Carter. Sanders didn’t play in the first half of the first preseason game, and is trying to hang onto his starting job in base defense ahead of Jackson. Carter is the Bills’ primary backup nose tackle to starter Deone Walker, though the Bills went out and signed free agent Greg Gaines this week for even more competition, and it at least makes you wonder if Carter is in jeopardy of not making the 53-man roster. Both Sanders and Carter need good days Saturday.

British rider Josh Tarling will start the Vuelta a España on Saturday, just eight days after the death of his younger brother Finlay during last week’s Volta a Portugal.

Finlay Tarling, 19, was killed after being hit head-on by a van driven by a member of the public, which had entered the course without authorization.

His older brother Josh, a Grand Tour stage winner and former European time-trial champion, has now been named in Netcompany-INEOS’ squad for the final Grand Tour of the season. Tarling also competed in the Tour de France this July.

The British-Danish squad were the final team to name their line-up for the race as they awaited confirmation over Tarling’s participation. The Vuelta begins with a nine kilometer individual time trial in Monaco, which Tarling will be among the favorites to win.

“La Vuelta is a big opportunity for us to finish the Grand Tour season strongly,” said Netcompany-INEOS’ director of racing Geraint Thomas. “I’m confident in the team we’re taking and their ability to adapt to whatever the race throws at us over the next three weeks. It’ll be a tough race, because La Vuelta always is, but the team is united and looking forward to taking it on.

“It also goes without saying that, as a team, we all fully support Josh in his decision to take part in the race.”

All set for #LaVuelta26 🇪🇸

An exciting Grand Tour challenge kicks off this weekend 🇲🇨👊 pic.twitter.com/ulSz7f7SL0

— Netcompany INEOS (@NetcompanyINEOS) August 20, 2026

During the past week, the tragedy provoked an outpouring of tributes from across the peloton.

“We are speechless and filled with anger after the news of Finlay Tarling’s death at the Tour of Portugal,” the riders’ union, the CPA, said in a statement. “It is not right that a young athlete’s life should end this way, and we are furious that even today it is still not possible to prevent such serious accidents.”

Josh Tarling has not spoken publicly since his brother’s death, but his parents Michael and Dawn shared their own joint message on Sunday.

“Hearing how lovingly and fondly Fin was thought of has been a huge help to us,” they wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know how we carry on from here, but we’ll figure it out with the support of all our family, friends, and community.

“Whilst our broken hearts will never be fixed, he was not only our son and brother but our best mate. Gentle, loving with the driest sense of humour, we will miss him terribly. If you’re heading out on your bike in the next few days give him a thought as you clip in.”

Netcompany-INEOS’ squad also features Scottish climber Oscar Onley, fourth at last year’s Tour, who was signed over the winter as the team’s general classification leader. Onley missed this year’s Tour with injury, with the Vuelta marking his Grand Tour debut with the team.

Five-time Tour winner Tadej Pogacar begins the race as the overwhelming favourite, making his first appearance in the Vuelta since claiming three stages on debut back in 2019.

Ninety-nine per cent of Leeds United fans polled by The Athletic on their hope ahead of the new season said they were optimistic this month. No other set of fans in the Premier League matched that percentage in our survey.

It is a strange world when the optimistic epicentre of the top flight is in West Yorkshire, but it sums up the feel-good factor around Elland Road this summer. It has not escaped manager Daniel Farke’s attention either.

In Thursday’s press conference, ahead of Saturday’s visit to Nottingham Forest, Farke was asked if his job was made harder by the optimism around the club.

“I’ve read something today, or someone has mentioned it: we are the most optimistic club in the whole Premier League to head into the season,” he said. “Ninety-nine per cent of our supporters are optimistic.

“I don’t want to change this one bit because this club has suffered so long and was pessimistic for so long. It’s just proof we have done so much correct in the last years and I’m happy about this.”

He’s right. The key decision-makers at Leeds, including Farke, have made a lot of very good, sensible, obvious decisions since July 2023 and the result of that is this current glow.

There is no better time for optimism than before a ball is kicked, before the harsh refereeing decisions, dodgy deflections and unfair results start to spoil it all. For now, and arguably the first time in 25 years, Leeds fans can dare to feel like they support a competently run, well-financed football club.

Thursday’s media briefing was saturated with questions about the season ahead, United’s prospects, what Farke considers a good season and what may constitute failure. The 2026 edition of the manager’s State of the Union address was embraced the optimism but was cautious about getting carried away.

Leeds fans need to go back 25 years to find a period of such positivity (George Wood/Getty Images)

“I want our supporters to be exactly like this (optimistic),” he said. “I just want to mention, if this were the mood on the stock exchange, 99 per cent optimism, the bubble will burst very soon.

“I have to make sure I don’t allow this because, if we put the crossbar to the good old days of 40 years ago, playing for the title and position 14 is not good enough anymore, or we have to do three or four positions better, then we are completely on the wrong path.

“I won’t allow this because this is exactly what we did a few years ago and it ended in a disaster. A great coach like Marcelo (Bielsa) lost a job here.

“We had a disaster, financial chaos, four different managers within six months, relegation back to the Championship. I try everything within my skills to do better, but it will be difficult, otherwise, we would have done it before.”

The last time Leeds put two good top-flight seasons back-to-back was 2000-01 (fourth) and 2001-02 (fifth). The slide to League One began thereafter and, as Farke mentioned, when Bielsa took the club back in 2020-21, they fell apart in 2021-22.

Lessons from that collapse, which began with an underfunded summer of poor recruitment, have been learned. When you break down the state of play at Leeds, you understand why the fans are daring to dream again.

Further recruitment is expected before the window closes, but of course, any Leeds fan of any vintage should, rightly, be shaking their head as they read this. They might be optimistic, but they will also recognise that feeling that it is supposed to go wrong from here. It’s a defence mechanism.

The one loose thread, on which the media invited Farke to pull, was his own future. In a long list of sound decisions, the absence of a new contract for the manager stands out.

After an ill-fated season 2023-24 season, in which Leeds finished third with 90 points but lost the Championship play-off final to Southampton, they secured promotion with a 100-point Championship title the following season. A 14th-place top-flight finish, in which they lost just five times in their final 25 games, has put Farke in a strong position. And yet, as the season nears, he continues to count down to a June 2027 contract expiry.

He tried to defuse any analysis of that his own contract situation by talking up the importance of the last days of the transfer window and the imminent matches ahead. It should not have taken this long for his future to be decided, however.

The manager was trying to keep everyone grounded on Thursday. This will not be easy, but the support should be allowed to dream. This is what he wanted when he channelled his compatriot Jurgen Klopp in April 2024.

In the same way Klopp said Liverpool’s transition began by turning doubters into believers in 2015, as Leeds aimed for Championship promotion, Farke said: “I would like to invite everyone to be a believer.”

Eight hundred and fifty-three days later, the German may finally have his wish.