Manti Te'o delivered a shot with a lowered shoulder.

Down went tight end David Johnson .

The sequence in an 11-on-11 drill and what followed Wednesday were hardly unique, some version seen at 31 other training camps on 31 different teams, every year. But as left guard Orlando Franklin confronted the Chargers inside linebacker with a pop, as the two first-team units mixed it up before the situation quickly diffused, and as quarterback Philip Rivers playfully chided the defense afterward from afar, it was clear.

Training camp is almost over.

The Chargers look as they should.

Players first reported to camp July 29 and held their first practice July 30. Their last practice comes Thursday morning at Chargers Park. Afterward, players can leave the hotel room in which they've stayed for three weeks. They can return home, some to wives and children they've seldom seen in that span.

It seems time.

"I think it's been physical all camp long," coach Mike McCoy said. "The longer you go along, the longer you play against one another, the tempo picks up. As guys get in better football shape, things happen faster. ... It's been very competitive."

View the photo gallery: Chargers practice 8/20/2015

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No one seemed to mind the altercation on the east practice field.

Franklin found Te'o after the practice, a hug to squash the incident. No hard feelings. Te'o found Johnson to ensure the same. The session was the third straight practice in pads for the Chargers, who will practice in shorts and shells Thursday in help regain their legs for Saturday's exhibition against the Cardinals.

The team plans to fly to Arizona on Friday.

"Everybody wants to make the team as close to a family as possible," Te'o said. "Families have disagreements. But at the end of the day, we all love each other, and we're all trying to get each other better. ... Everyone understands it's football."

"When guys fight, you don't want guys to hurt one other and all that," linebackers coach Mike Nolan said. "But people don't fight when they don't care. They fight when they care about things. There is a good side to that."

Thursday is check-out day at the team hotel.

Younger players have roommates during camp, part of the team bonding. Te'o, for example, has outside linebacker Tourek Williams as his roommate. Williams arguably was the most improve Charger this offseason. He suffered a recent setback with a broken foot against the Cowboys on which he underwent surgery late last week.

Te'o could talk Williams through the ordeal.

"If there's anyone on this team who has battled through foot problems, it's me," Te'o said.

Some Chargers may stay in the hotel all year, particularly younger ones without family in the area.

For others, moving day is a long time coming.

Running back Danny Woodhead had his wife Stacia, 4-year-old daughter Gia and 2-year-old son Will at practice Wednesday. The couple is expecting their third child Oct. 14. Safety Darrell Stuckey's wife Lacie was at practice along with son Jayton, 2, and daughter Kinsley, 6 months.

Players spend less time with family during camp.

The team arranges some time, such as Family Night earlier this week or practices in which family members are encouraged to attend, to help off-set that time away. But nothing replicates time at home.

"To get, depending on the day, 15 to 30 minutes of, 'Daddy! Daddy! Daddy,' " Woodhead said, "it's definitely hard when you can't see them but it definitely also helps you get through camp. It brings you back down to earth a little bit to earth that you're a daddy and husband also."

"For that moment, you escape," Stuckey added. "For that moment, you totally mentally escape from camp. For that moment, you're daddy right now, so it doesn't matter how practice went. It's a time to just enjoy."

Fathers go back home Thursday.

Camp is ending. It's time.

View the photo gallery: Chargers practice 8/19/2015