The New England Patriots' joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday got heated.

Multiple fights broke out during the joint session, with Patriots rookie defensive end Keion White tossing a Packers player's helmet at one point while New England outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings was tossed from practice.

Getting involved in multiple fights could be a bad sign for a team, as it shows  a lack of discipline or unfocused play. But Jalen Mills had a different take on it, believing that the Patriots' level play went up a level following the heated moments on Thursday.

“When things get edgy, when things get chippy, the mental errors kinda go away,” Mills told reporters. “Guys are actually locked in. And that's what you want. There are times when it may get a little chippy and guys are talking noise here and there, and guys can't think and they just wanna go out there and hit the first thing they see. But [we were] still executing at a high level and doing what each play allows you to do.”

By many accounts, the Patriots played better as the day went along on Thursday. The offense reportedly clicked toward the end of practice, with Mac Jones hitting DeVante Parker for a 40-yard touchdown at the end while the defense made several plays after reportedly struggling on Wednesday.

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Mills sensed the improved performance by both units.

“I think [there was growth] on both sides of the ball,” Mills said. “You had growing pains here and there, but you also grew from it. I think 70 or 80 percent of games in the NFL are decided in the last two or three minutes, so to execute like that was really good to see.”

Joint practices are typically viewed as the crux of training camp and the preseason, as many starting units will get more head-to-heads reps than they do in most preseason games. It also allows coaches to manage and play out certain situations in preparation for the regular season, so the Patriots putting on a good show Thursday certainly is a good sign with the start of the season less than a month away.

Still, there are pair of games the Patriots have to play in the exhibition slate. They face the Packers on Saturday before heading to Nashville for a pair of joint practices with the Tennessee Titans ahead of the final game of the preseason.