Even though the Bucs and Titans were just in shells (which is just shoulder pads, not full pads), there was still plenty of physicality from both sides coming off a day where the Bucs beat the Titans pretty good — and let them know about it with some smack talk.

Speaking of smacks, Bucs safety Chris Conte gave Titans running back Dion Lewis a hit to remember on Thursday, which caused quite the stir among both rosters.

It was a run play up the middle. Conte was just flying in to fill the gap, was pushed a little more than he thought, and ran into Lewis at full speed, knocking him to the ground. Both teams got in each other’s faces after the play and had to be separated by the coaching staffs.

After practice, Conte said he had no intention of trying to hurt Lewis, but he was flying around trying to make plays just like everyone else was.

Conte also had an interception in the red zone portion of practice on Thursday, which solidified a very good day for him. The Bucs are beginning to rotate their safeties more with rookie Jordan Whitehead now in the mix, so for Conte to keep his playing time up he’ll need more days like Thursday.

As for the rest of the defense, they didn’t have as highlight-filled a day as Wednesday, but Jason Pierre-Paul got himself a few sacks. With the competition level really evening out on Thursday, we’re excited to see what happens when the game gets under way this Saturday.