Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel shares the benefit of joint practices throughout training camp

The Miami Dolphins will participate in joint practices with the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons

Joint practices add a refreshing ripple to training camp with added competition outside of three preseason games.

Last season, coach Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins participated in joint practices in Tampa Bay before beginning the preseason against the Buccaneers. The team further endorsed the idea with an early trip to Philidelphia for joint practices ahead of the preseason final against the Eagles.

The Dolphins are doubling down with two sets of joint practices set for the 2023 preseason. Miami will host the Atlanta Falcons and then travel to Houston early for practices with the Texans.

“Those types of opportunities are invaluable,” McDaniel said. “It breaks camp up. It gives a little newness to it. It reinvigorates it, but it also – there’s only so much scheme that one side of the ball can have. You get different players that you have to go against and subtle schematic nuances that are different that really help the players get prepared for preseason and then regular season.”

Miami joins the Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Jets as teams with two sets of joint practices on the preseason schedule.

The Dolphins begin the preseason schedule on Aug. 11 at Hard Rock Stadium against the Falcons. Eight days later, Miami plays the Texans at NRG Stadium.

“Yeah, excited to go against the Dolphins here ahead of our preseason game, the second week of preseason,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “I think we can get a lot out of joint practices, especially a team as good as Miami, a playoff team, a team that has a ton of playmakers offensively and a really good defense, as well. It’s a good opportunity for our offense to go against a different defensive structure.

“They’re more of a three-down front where we’re primarily a four-down front. So it’s a chance for our offense to get different looks, and it’s also a chance for us defensively to get different looks from different players and compete at a high level.”

The Dolphins wrap up the preseason on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 26.