The Ravens and Eagles aren't brothers, but the Ravens expect to get along just fine in the City of Brotherly Love this week.
Last week, the Redskins and Texans made waves with brawls during their joint practices, which was also documented on HBO's "Hard Knocks." That prompted the league and NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent to send a memo to all 32 teams saying "fighting will not be tolerated."
The Ravens have no plans of staging their own version of clashes with the Eagles when they begin practicing together Wednesday.
"Ultimately, fighting doesn't get anything done. We're out here trying to improve our football team, and that's counterproductive," veteran defensive end Chris Canty said.
"That takes away from the opportunity to get more plays in and becomes more of a distraction than anything else. So we're looking forward to good, hard work, physical play and competing at a high level against the Philadelphia Eagles this week and preseason Saturday."
The Ravens have experience getting along with another team during joint practices.
They had three days of drama-free practice with the similarly physical San Francisco 49ers last year. Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh each stressed to their respective teams at the beginning of the week that there would be no fighting, and there wasn't.
This time, the team on the opposite side won't be coached by Harbaugh's brother. It remains to be seen how Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly runs a practice. Kelly is known for an extremely fast-paced offensive style in games.
"It's hard to believe anybody practices faster than us. It really is," Canty said. "Whatever we're faced with when we go up the turnpike, we'll deal with it. That's the kind of football team we are. Whatever the pace is, the pace is; we'll adjust to it and play football."
The Ravens have high-intensity practices. They get after it, competing with each other to help improve. There haven't been any brawls at Ravens camp thus far, and hardly even any skirmishes.
But not every team practices so hard. It could take a little time to adjust to each other's practice style.
Still, defensive tackle Brandon Williams echoed Canty's sentiment. Nobody on Baltimore's side is packing their boxing gloves.
"We're going to go up there and try to take care of each other," Williams said. "When the whistles blow, we'll stop. We're going in there thinking we're going to have a hard practice and we're going to do what we're coached to do. And that's all we're going to take it to."
The Ravens have been grinding for three weeks at the Under Armour Performance Center. The trip to Philadelphia provides a welcomed change of scenery and faces.
"It's amazing to go up against somebody that doesn't know your every move," Williams said. "I'm ready to see somebody else. It's a learning experience."
