Arians briefly returns as Chargers-Cardinals wrap up practices
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals and San Diego Chargers got through two days of joint practices without one fight.
"We had no issues at all," Chargers coach Mike McCoy said Wednesday. "We weren't concerned about that. We addressed that beforehand and the players understood what we were trying to get done and that was to get better."
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians was hospitalized overnight before the night practice Tuesday with what he described as diverticulitis. He attended the first 30 minutes of the Wednesday workout at Chargers Park.
"I'm just happy and blessed and thankful to God that he is all right," Cardinals linebacker Deone Bucannon said.
The teams square off in a preseason game Friday night at Qualcomm Stadium.
"It's just like one step closer to being prepared for a real live game," Cardinals safety Tony Jackson said about the benefits of the combined practices. "You don't know how that game speed is until you are in it. You have to keep building and building and building and this is just another step."
Jackson embraced battling a chatty Philip Rivers during drills.
"Rivers is a competitor," Jackson said about the Chargers' quarterback. "I love going against Rivers because he gets into the game a little bit. That's my type of player."
Rivers grinned.
"Just out there talking," he said.
Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward said the workouts brought the secondary closer.
"Everybody is gelling well together," he said. "We have a chance to be pretty good."
Getting better was both teams' mantra the past two days.
"It was outstanding," McCoy said. "It was exactly what we wanted to get done against an outstanding organization. The way our team and their team worked against each other, there was nothing but professionalism."
