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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Denver Broncos right tackle Chris Clark took exception when J.J. Watt pushed him around in a 1-on-1 pass-rushing drill and kept right on motoring toward the imaginary quarterback. Clark finally broke free with a swipe at the Houston Texans star that sent the pass rushers helmet bouncing on the ground. "Dont get mad when you get beat," Watt hollered at Clark. That turned into the theme of Wednesdays joint workout in full pads, one which ended with a lot of jawing and posturing after Texans safety D.J. Swearinger loudly celebrated his interception of Peyton Manning in an 11-on-11 drill. "I picked off Peyton today and I guess that got them a little chippy," Swearinger said. "The offence did great, ran the ball down their throat, so, hey, I would get mad, too. Thats all it is: players making plays and people getting mad." Broncos cornerback Chris Harris said its one thing to pick off Manning and quite another to go all gaga over it. "His swag just went to another level," Harris said. So did the Broncos indignation. "Theres about 200 guys out here," Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said. "Its hard to avoid." No punches were thrown, however, as is so often is the case in these types of get-togethers. After all, players realize its a little too close to final cuts and the start of the season to risk fighting at practice. "We wanted to stay clean out here," Swearinger said. "Were not out here to start nothing with nobody, were out here to get good work. Both teams got good work. It got a little chippy at the end, but its all football. Its part of the game." Broncos safety Rahim Moore said the chippy moments were actually a good sign. "Theyre no punks and neither are we," Moore said. "So at the end of the day you do all your talking with the pads. Today they had a great day, we had a great day. So I actually like it because theyve got a bunch of competitive guys that we would love to go against each other every day. Its a great way for us to see how we match up, so we love it. Its fun." It wasnt all frayed nerves and trash talking, either. Top draft pick Jadeveon Clowney and star left tackle Ryan Clady battled to a draw several times during the 1-on-1 pass-rushing drills that proved the highlight of the two-hour practice. Clowney sought out Clady afterward and the two exchanged a fist bump in a show of sportsmanship. Clowney later smacked into tight end Jacob Tamme during a 9-on-7 drill and retreated to the Texans medical tent, where he sat out the final 45 minutes of practice. He didnt appear to be getting any sort of treatment, however, and appeared to walk off OK after practice ended. Asked what had happened to Clowney, Texans coach Bill OBrien said, "I dont know. I was in the middle of practice, so Ill find out." The team didnt issue any update, however. The Clowney-Clady matchup was one of the many benefits of the four hours of joint practices so far this week that both head coaches insist far outweigh the inevitable emotions that come with them. "You cant really simulate this when you go against each other," OBrien said. "The competition level rises, you see different schemes. You hear different communication on both sides of the ball. The coaches work together. Were able to talk to Denvers coaches and vice versa about some of the things theyre doing, what theyre looking for, what were looking for. I thought both teams worked very well together." Despite the pick at the end, Manning and the Broncos offence played much better than they had 24 hours earlier when Manning called out his teammates over a sloppy practice. "Im sure a lot of our guys noticed that he wasnt happy on the field," offensive co-ordinator Adam Gase said. "I spoke my mind in the meetings. Im not really going to do it out here for everybody to watch, but I said my piece. We made sure that we came out here and had a better day." The teams have one more joint practice Thursday, this time in shells and shorts, which should further reduce any extracurricular activity, before their preseason game Saturday night. Notes: Broncos WR-PR Jordan Norwood tore his left ACL when he landed awkwardly while going up for a touchdown catch and battling with Texans CB Brandon Harris in a red zone drill. ... Broncos RB Montee Ball participated in his second straight day of workouts following his Aug. 4 appendectomy. Ball said hes lost 6 pounds but likes the way he feels at 209: "I feel a lot faster, a lot more agile," he said. ... Broncos LB Jamar Chaney (hamstring) sat out and TE Jameson Konz left practice after hurting his neck. .Y. - The New York Islanders are brimming with confidence these days, thanks to a standout goalie and a newfound winning attitude. . This is the final meeting of the season between these teams.? The Capitals were 5-4 winners in a shootout Oct. . He made that dream a reality Wednesday night. Olt, who grew up in Branford, Connecticut, attended UConn and made a nearly 2 1-2 hour trek to Boston a handful of times to watch the Red Sox, belted a two-run homer, one of four hit by Cubs in a 16-9 rout that completed a three-game interleague series sweep. . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. . He was signed to help with depth to the receiving corps because of the loss of Shamawd Chambers to the 6-game injured list.ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Wild defenceman Keith Ballard has been released from the hospital, diagnosed with multiple facial fractures and a concussion after a collision with the boards.The Wild announced Wednesday that Ballard will be out indefinitely.Ballard was hurt Tuesday when he tried to turn away from Matt Martin as the New York Islanders left wing charged toward him. Ballard was driven face-forward into the dasher board, and his head bounced hard on the ice after he fell.dddddddddddd At one point, Ballard appeared to be convulsing back and forth as medics hustled out a stretcher, but he was able to get up after a few minutes and walk slowly to the locker room with assistance.The Wild recalled defenceman Justin Falk from their AHL affiliate in Iowa to fill in. ' ' '
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