The Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears practiced against each other on Friday ahead of their game on Sunday. It wasn't pretty for the Dolphins.
Jordyn Brooks has had enough, and whatever he said on the sidelines turned to fists. Miami's top linebacker has been a leader thus far for the franchise, and that leadership took an ugly turn, but it was probably needed.
Brooks' attitude is exactly what the Dolphins need, and it must have had the right impact, given the fact that they stepped up afterward.
Zach Sieler steps in to break up a fight among Miami Dolphins teammates; Minkah Fitzpatrick likes Jordyn Brooks' leadership
The fight on the sideline didn't last long, but it took Zach Sieler to break it up. The fight involved another one of the Dolphins' top linebackers, Tyrel Dodson. It's unclear what sparked the incident or who was the instigator.
Brooks' determination wasn't misplaced. After the scrimmage, the Dolphins' new safety told the media that Brooks is holding the defense accountable this year, something he tried to do last season. "It can be confrontational," Fitzpatrick said, "But it's necessary."
Miami's linebacker unit is one of the best the team has had in recent years. Brooks is emerging as the on-field voice and leader, but he believes that Sieler is the face of what the Dolphins are trying to accomplish. That is entirely accurate. Sieler has been one of the most consistent defensive linemen in the NFL over the past two seasons.
The Dolphins' defense was able to pull it together after a rough start, but the cornerback unit is still a problem. Anthony Weaver needs to rely on the front seven to get pressure consistently to keep receivers from having time to expose the weaker boundary corners.
This is one reason why the Dolphins need Brooks as much as they do. If the Dolphins are going to find success this year, it has to come on the legs of the play of Tua Tagovailoa and the play of the team's defensive front seven.
On Friday, Brooks made a case for being a leader, and he showed the rest of the defense that he wasn't going to tolerate a lack of drive. Miami needs to take note because he could be making a strong case for the next big contract.