Jacksonville Jaguars to join Minnesota Vikings for practices in August
By Adam Carlson
Two of the stingiest defenses in the NFL will be working together during joint practices featuring the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars in August.
Last season, both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings made deep playoff runs and came within a game of representing their respective conference during Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Both teams will be hungry to prove their teams’ success last year was not a fluke by returning to playoffs, winning their division, and hopefully taking the next step to actually end up playing in the big game.
All the success starts at practice, where teams will learn their plays, come together as a unit, and hone their skills with the coaches and staffs.
According to the official website of the Minnesota Vikings, the Vikings and Jaguars are reported to be coming together for two joint practices this preseason on Wednesday and Thursday, August 15 and 16, pitting two of the NFL’s top defenses against each other mere days before their preseason game on August 18.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota had a stellar 2017 defensive performance, allowing the fewest yards per game at 275.9 while only giving up 4.6 yards per play and only allowing 51 3rd down attempts to be converted on the year in a defense led by star players like Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen, and Anthony Barr.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville came in second as far as fewest yards allowed per game at 286.1 and hunted for turnovers, forcing 25 fumbles and intercepting 21 passes while guys like Jalen Ramsey, Telvin Smith, Calais Campbell, and Myles Jack.
Having these two teams work together in joint practices at the brand new Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center will be interesting and should help both teams hone their skills with a little more competition and challenge during the preseason.
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This will be the first joint practice the Minnesota Vikings have held since they worked with the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2007 in Mankato, where Nate Burleson witnessed the power of an angry Brock Lesnar. Hopefully, there will be no suplexing during the practices against Jacksonville.