10 things that stood out from Vikings-Titans joint practice Day 1
EAGAN — The Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans took part in a physical joint practice at TCO Performance Center on Wednesday that included lots of trash talk and high winds that impacted the offenses. Here’s everything we learned from the day’s workout…
1. Jordan Addison absent
The Vikings’ first-round receiver, who has often wowed during practices this summer, was not in attendance because of a concussion that he suffered going to the ground while making a catch earlier in the week. He showed “light” symptoms, per Kevin O’Connell, and the medical staff elected to place him in the protocol. He will not practice on Thursday or play Saturday night vs. the Titans. O’Connell was optimistic that he could return next week.
“Just being aware of if he had any symptoms whatsoever, no reason to risk anything, give him the proper time to work his way through that protocol, and he’ll be back ASAP when the doctors clear him,” O’Connell said.
Until this point Addison avoided any issues during camp after missing OTAs and minicamp due to injury.
With Addison out, Jalen Reagor, Brandon Powell and Trishton Jackson saw opportunities alongside Justin Jefferson and/or KJ Osborn. Powell caught several passes and Jackson had two high-quality catches, though he got banged up a bit toward the end of practice and limped off. He appeared to be OK.
TJ Hockenson is still dealing with limitations due to an ear infection. O’Connell did not give a timeline for his return.
2. Kene Nwangwu, Jalen Nailor, Brian Asamoah, TJ Hockenson did not practice
The list of those not practicing on Wednesday includes three players who could be losing ground due to their absences in Nwangwu, Nailor and Asamoah.
The third-year running back came into camp with expectations of being RB2 but he hasn’t been on the field since early in the proceedings and the team has brought in multiple veteran running backs for workouts since then. Ty Chandler and DeWayne McBride are likely to take on the entire workload in the backfield again on Saturday.
At receiver, Nailor is still presumably part of the 53-man roster but they may need to keep another receiver if he’s unprepared to start the season. His loss may be the gain of someone like Jackson, who seems to make plays on the ball every day.
At linebacker, Ivan Pace Jr. took all the first-team reps and even mixed in with the second group on a few plays. Asamoah watched from the sideline as his main contender for the starting position put together an energetic practice with all sorts of blitzes, run-fits and coverage reps.
3. More praise for LB Ivan Pace Jr.
Speaking of Pace Jr., the buzz surrounding his play continues to grow. O’Connell gave a long, enthusiastic answer when he was asked about why he’s earned reps alongside Jordan Hicks with the first team. Here’s what he said:
“Really every facet of the game, how we are playing defense, communication, pressure, no pressure. The way he has the athleticism to run sideline to sideline, cancel out some mistakes. If we lose a gap here or there, he’s shown to be able to get off blocks for a guy that when I watched his tape in college, he was almost unblockable and that’s translating in a lot of ways. It could be a great look, getting the linemen up to him on the second level, he somehow avoids that block and makes the play while maintaining doing his job, so he doesn’t undress any other facet of the defensive call. He did great with the green dot the other day in Seattle. So, really, he’s gold stars all the way around for Ivan [Pace Jr.]. As I’ve challenged him to do, you’re not just trying to compete to make our team, let’s see where you can go and help us possibly win football games from the jump.”
Wednesday’s practice was just more momentum toward Pace Jr. winning the job.
4. Defenses won the day and Flores did not hold back
Both teams had a chance to run a two-minute drill and neither team converted it into points. Throughout practice the Vikings’ offense missed some opportunities with a deep pass to Justin Jefferson being broken up and an underthrow getting picked off. On the defensive side, DC Brian Flores blitzed the heck out Tennessee and — aside from one coverage bust that gave up a big catch to Treylon Burks — limited their effectiveness. We saw lots of short passes and checkdowns from Tannehill.
Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon played physically and appeared to hold his own and pass another test en route to starting Week 1.
5. Josh Metellus got a lot of work vs. the Titans’ starters
The Vikings used a lot of their personnel package with Metellus in as a linebacker. That grouping also featured DJ Wonnum and Hunter on the outside and Marcus Davenport and Harrison Phillips inside. It seems they wanted to get lots of looks at that package, which will mostly be used in pure passing situations. Metellus causes problems for the opposing offense because he can be in lots of different spots and either cover man-to-man, zone or rush the passer off the edge or inside. He was a frustrating wild card for the Tennessee offense. There was a ton of pre-snap movement on the defensive side involving him as well.
6. Lewis Cine and Jay Ward paired together
The Vikings’ fourth-round pick Ward has most often run with the third team throughout camp but he was bumped up with the 2s to play alongside Cine. That could have been because they were using Metellus a lot with the 1s. It appeared Cine was getting more time in the box as a blitzer than in previous practices, which may be just something they were doing vs. Tennessee or an adjustment that Flores is making having worked with the 2022 first-rounder. It stands to reason that a player of his physical prowess could make an impact playing in the box.
7. Danielle Hunter played a lot, Brian O’Neill did not
The Titans got the full Vikings D-line experience with Hunter taking a number of 11-on-11 reps as he continues his ramp up from missing the beginning of camp due to a hold-in. Not that there was any concern that Hunter would struggle to get rolling but he looked every bit himself coming off the edge.
He doesn’t seem to concerned about adapting to Flores’s defense.
“Whatever he needs me to do I’ll go out there and do it,” Hunter said. “I felt like we did a pretty good job today.”
O’Neill did not do full-team work. After practice O’Connell said they expect O’Neill to fully participate when the Vikings hold joint practices against the Arizona Cardinals.
8. Kicking, punting, special teams were on display
While Jack Podlesny is scheduled to kick in the game against the Titans, Greg Joseph got more opportunities on the windy Wednesday, missing two of his seven kicks while Podlesny only got two chances and made both. We’ll have a good sense after this week whether the competition is ramping up or it’s Joseph’s job.
Punter Ryan Wright may have been the biggest winner of the day. With the wind at his back he boomed one somewhere in the range of 80 to 90 yards and toyed with the Titans with a myriad of different kicks that flustered the returners.
“He just kept on hitting them, and hitting them, and hitting them, getting the guys fired up,” O’Connell said. “You know you had a good day as a punter when the bleachers are chanting your name, so I was proud of Ryan today.”
The most exciting drill of the day might have been special teams gunners. Theo Jackson and Thayer Thomas stood out as gunners ran toward a tackle dummy while the opposing player tried to block them from getting there.
9. The offensive line had its hands full with Jeffery Simmons
Throughout practice Simmons was getting into it with the Vikings’ offensive linemen — not to the point of any fights but certainly trash talking and backing it up with a bunch of reps in which he created a push. Overall, however, the offensive line’s day seemed to be OK and Tennessee’s rush did not disrupt Cousins from making throws to his receivers all that often.
"A couple things here or there, but I thought the protection in the drop-back game overall was pretty solid,” O’Connell said.
10. Malik Willis’s physical tools were on display, Will Levis struggled
Tennessee’s backup situation is interesting. Willis, who appears to be clearly ahead, threw several super high velocity balls that were completed, showing the raw arm strength that intrigued draft analysts in 2022. When he took off running he looked like a running back with his speed and shiftiness.
We can give some leeway because of the wind but Levis was not very accurate. Quite a few passes sailed on him.
