Vikings/Ravens Joint Practices ~ Aug. 19th & 20th

purplefaithful wrote:

Gotta go all the way back to 2009 since the Vikings have had an ALL PRO Guard...
I got to meet Hutchinson and hang with him too when he lived next door to my good buddy in Medina. John Randle lived in the same neighborhood too, so I got to hang with Viking Royalty more than once!
Outside of Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt, Hutch was one of the biggest people I have ever met - just an imposing MF'er.
Nice guy btw.
I assume u are a fan too @Sticky...

Yeah, Hutch was a legend at the University of Michigan. Bad ass.

StickierBuns wrote:

https://x.com/koestreicher34/status/2090509235503132932?s=46&t=ohFAAgt56m6anXyDpx1btQ

potential to be a great addition to that D...Good move by Ravens!!

Instant reaction to Day 2 of Vikings joint practice against the Ravens @Vikings1stSKOL https://t.co/TrottTKKlG

— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) August 20, 2026

The Minnesota Vikings have finished two days worth of joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens. Over the two days of practice, we got to see Brian Flores’ defense take on Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray face a defense other than the Vikings’.

Being that there were joint practices, most of the top players will miss the preseason game on Saturday. What stood out on Thursday? I was live at TCO Performance Center and this is what I saw.

Dallas Turner continues to shine

Yesterday’s recap of joint practices had me gushing over Dallas Turner’s afternoon. He was explosive in a multitude of ways and it continued on Thursday.

Turner’s developed in a nice way across the board. His body composition is much-improved and deploys a very diverse skill set. He got multiple pressures and a couple of sacks on the day, while setting a strong edge against Ronnie Stanley. He’s primed for an explosive season.

Both quarterbacks showed improvement

After a rough first day of practice, both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy showed some improvement on the day. They were rough on the first day, including multiple interceptions from both players.

Things looked a lot better from both quarterbacks. Murray had some nice strikes down the field to Justin Jefferson, and hit Jauan Jennings on a go ball in the honey hole of Cover-2. He led the Vikings down the field on a two-minute drill down two with 1:15 left, and Will Reichard hit a 47-yard field goal.

McCarthy also led the team down the field on a two-minute drill, where they scored a touchdown on a Demond Claiborne had a draw play for about 25 yards to seal the win. McCarthy had some impressive throws on the day, including a nice touchdown to Myles Price in individual drills.

Eric Wilson’s wild day

The Vikings might have their best linebacker room since peak Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. It’s an often overlooked position, but it’s also one that Brian Flores’ defense thrives with good players.

When the Vikings extended Eric Wilson, it felt a little over reactionary . He broke out in year nine, but it was objectively a great season. He’s proving them right so far. Wilson was everywhere ok Thursday, getting pressure in multiple ways as blitzer, both as a pass rusher and run defender.

Charles Demmings has one concerning area

Cornerback Charles Demmings has been the story of training camp. The fifth-round pick has stacked multiple good days and proven to be a good player overall. Within each practice, he’s done a lot of great things, but there is a big concern developing.

In college, you can get away with a lot of physicality, but it’s a lot harder to in the NFL. Demmings has been overly physical during practice, drawing a lot of flags for his efforts. This is something the Vikings dealt with regarding Xavier Rhodes when he got drafted, and they found a way to fix it. Bringing out the boxing gloves might be the smart play.

Ravens rookie WR Ja’Kobi Lane a huge standout

There were two teams on the field this week, and the Ravens had some interesting performances. The biggest standout might be rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane.

He was selected on the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and gave the room some desperately needed size. Lane has created enough separation with nuanced route running and showed veteran savvy using his length as well. He really stood lit by doing it against everyone he faced. The Ravens might have a guy in Lane.

Other Notes

• UDFA CB Da’Veawn Armstead is getting more opportunities to work with the second team. He took advantage of it with a PBU in 7-on-7 drills and looked good getting consistent work with the second team.

• Keep an eye out this season for orbit motion. McCarthy hit wide receiver Dillon Bell on a swing off orbit motion in team drills for a nice gain. Assistant head coach Frank Smith is going to have a major influence on offense, and that could end up being a staple.

• Safety Theo Jackson went down contesting a deep ball in team drills. He walked off with trainers and seemed to be okay.

• Safety Jacob Thomas continued getting work with the first-team throughout the day, and playing well in the process.

• Safety Jay Ward continues to look good throughout every rep. If Harrison Smith doesn’t return, the safety room is in good hands.

Cricket wrote:

https://x.com/TheRealForno/status/2090514388822163960?s=20
The Minnesota Vikings have finished two days worth of joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens. Over the two days of practice, we got to see Brian Flores’ defense take on Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray face a defense other than the Vikings’.
Being that there were joint practices, most of the top players will miss the preseason game on Saturday. What stood out on Thursday? I was live at TCO Performance Center and this is what I saw.
Dallas Turner continues to shineYesterday’s recap of joint practices had me gushing over Dallas Turner’s afternoon. He was explosive in a multitude of ways and it continued on Thursday.
Turner’s developed in a nice way across the board. His body composition is much-improved and deploys a very diverse skill set. He got multiple pressures and a couple of sacks on the day, while setting a strong edge against Ronnie Stanley. He’s primed for an explosive season.
Both quarterbacks showed improvementAfter a rough first day of practice, both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy showed some improvement on the day. They were rough on the first day, including multiple interceptions from both players.
Things looked a lot better from both quarterbacks. Murray had some nice strikes down the field to Justin Jefferson, and hit Jauan Jennings on a go ball in the honey hole of Cover-2. He led the Vikings down the field on a two-minute drill down two with 1:15 left, and Will Reichard hit a 47-yard field goal.
McCarthy also led the team down the field on a two-minute drill, where they scored a touchdown on a Demond Claiborne had a draw play for about 25 yards to seal the win. McCarthy had some impressive throws on the day, including a nice touchdown to Myles Price in individual drills.
Eric Wilson’s wild dayThe Vikings might have their best linebacker room since peak Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. It’s an often overlooked position, but it’s also one that Brian Flores’ defense thrives with good players.
When the Vikings extended Eric Wilson, it felt a little over reactionary . He broke out in year nine, but it was objectively a great season. He’s proving them right so far. Wilson was everywhere ok Thursday, getting pressure in multiple ways as blitzer, both as a pass rusher and run defender.
Charles Demmings has one concerning areaCornerback Charles Demmings has been the story of training camp. The fifth-round pick has stacked multiple good days and proven to be a good player overall. Within each practice, he’s done a lot of great things, but there is a big concern developing.
In college, you can get away with a lot of physicality, but it’s a lot harder to in the NFL. Demmings has been overly physical during practice, drawing a lot of flags for his efforts. This is something the Vikings dealt with regarding Xavier Rhodes when he got drafted, and they found a way to fix it. Bringing out the boxing gloves might be the smart play.
Ravens rookie WR Ja’Kobi Lane a huge standoutThere were two teams on the field this week, and the Ravens had some interesting performances. The biggest standout might be rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane.
He was selected on the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and gave the room some desperately needed size. Lane has created enough separation with nuanced route running and showed veteran savvy using his length as well. He really stood lit by doing it against everyone he faced. The Ravens might have a guy in Lane.
Other NotesUDFA CB Da’Veawn Armstead is getting more opportunities to work with the second team. He took advantage of it with a PBU in 7-on-7 drills and looked good getting consistent work with the second team.
Keep an eye out this season for orbit motion. McCarthy hit wide receiver Dillon Bell on a swing off orbit motion in team drills for a nice gain. Assistant head coach Frank Smith is going to have a major influence on offense, and that could end up being a staple.
Safety Theo Jackson went down contesting a deep ball in team drills. He walked off with trainers and seemed to be okay.
Safety Jacob Thomas continued getting work with the first-team throughout the day, and playing well in the process.
Safety Jay Ward continues to look good throughout every rep. If Harrison Smith doesn’t return, the safety room is in good hands.

I was wondering when someone was going to touch on it regarding Chuck D.

Not sure how accurate this is or not? But a 5th rounder at CB was certainly going to have lots of development in front of them.

I forgot all about the XR being so handsy as a youngen till now.

8/20 Vikings camp summary. pic.twitter.com/s5nKnTBQAo

— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 20, 2026

Nice Job Criket!!

Jacob Roberts and Trenton Simpson grew up together and were teammates in high school in Charlotte, North Carolina.

High School Teammates ➡️ NFL pic.twitter.com/fcvZlOKvAI

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 20, 2026

purplefaithful wrote:

Nice Job Criket!!

At the beginning of Kevin O’Connell’s press conference, Randy Moss was on the deck overlooking the Vikings’ media area. O’Connell said Moss sat in on the receiver meeting last night. With that much experience, “that’s a room that I was not going to walk in and start talking about…

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) August 20, 2026

At the beginning of Kevin O’Connell’s press conference, Randy Moss was on the deck overlooking the Vikings’ media area. O’Connell said Moss sat in on the receiver meeting last night. With that much experience, “that’s a room that I was not going to walk in and start talking about receiver playing, I know that for sure,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell said when he got the Vikings job, one of his goals was to have Moss — who was briefly his teammate in New England — reconnect with the team more frequently

“Randy's become a a guy that I talk to quite often,” O’Connell said. “He talks to me more now than he did when I was teammates with him; I remind him of that often. But I love him to death, and [with] all his experiences and what he's been through personally, he’s got so much perspective to share, on and off the field, and he's willing to share it. And I hope to have him as much around here as much as we possibly can.”

Dallas Turner is DISRUPTING the #Ravens OL, specifically former 1st team All-Pro OT Ronnie Stanley. 15 is ready for double digit sacks. #SKOL pic.twitter.com/cPEznd0QWB

— Vikes\/erified (@VikesVV) August 20, 2026

Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) just stopped to sign for fans on his way to the Raven’s temporary locker-room. Absolute legend for making these kids’ day.

(Posted with parents’ permission) pic.twitter.com/AAzk81EJOs

— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 20, 2026

purplefaithful wrote:

No way in hell I play DT on Saturday...

You won't have to worry, I am sure. He won't even wear a jersey most likely lol

Observations from Vikings-Ravens joint practice No. 2

Safety Joshua Metellus walked off the field and saw Ravens players lifting inside the Vikings weight room at TCO Performance Center in Eagan.

"They had to lift right after!?" Metellus said incredulously. "The game is in two days!"

Whether he was correct or not, Metellus said that was not a good sign for how Ravens coaches must have viewed Thursday's second day of joint practices between the Vikings and Ravens. Here's a breakdown of what we saw.

• The Vikings finished on a strong note, winning all four situational drills between the first- and second-team offenses and defenses. The situation: each offense got the ball deep in their own territory trailing 23-21 with 1:11 left in regulation. Quarterback Kyler Murray completed his final four throws, including a screen to receiver Justin Jefferson that set up a successful Will Reichard field goal.

• Quarterback J.J. McCarthy completed 3 of 4 passes, with the only incompletion netting positive yardage due to a Ravens flag for pass interference or defensive holding. After frustrating Jefferson on Wednesday with physical coverage, the Ravens drew at least seven flags for DPI or holding across all 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. Running back Demond Claiborne broke free on a shotgun handoff from McCarthy for the situation-winning score.

• On the defensive side, rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks corralled Ravens receiver Zay Flowers on a quick screen. Cornerback James Pierre intercepted Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson at the end to seal the starting defense's win.

• Linebacker Eric Wilson and edge rusher Dallas Turner were among the starting defenders with reasons to celebrate after stalling multiple Derrick Henry runs at the line of scrimmage. Wilson was also credited with a sack on Jackson. The Vikings defense appeared to have the upper hand throughout the afternoon much like they did on Wednesday. Although during full-team drills, rookie Ravens receiver Ja'Kobi Lane spiked the ball and screamed after an impressive touchdown snag while evading cornerback Isaiah Rodgers in coverage.

• Before exiting with an injury, safety Theo Jackson nearly intercepted a low Lamar Jackson throw over the middle in full-team drills. Jackson gave a thumbs up and said he was "good" when asked about his injury after practice. He did not return, replaced by undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas. "He got in there a little bit with me," Metellus said of Thomas, "and he brings a calm presence. You never feel like, 'Oh my gosh, that guy on the other side doesn't know what he's doing.' You feel comfortable when he's in because, mentally, [Thomas] has it all."

Thomas, undrafted out of James Madison, dropped an interception off Lamar Jackson during 7-on-7 drills. Cornerback Charles Demmings didn't miss his opportunity to intercept backup Ravens QB Tyler Huntley in the same session

Strib

Myles Price had a hard time containing his excitement when asked about what it was like having Randy Moss in the Vikings’ receiver meeting.

“He was sitting right next to me. He was giving me, like, tips. I couldn’t believe it! I’m not gonna lie. He’s sitting casually, I’m eating my food, and he’s like, ‘Hey, you could have gave him this instead of that.’ I’m like, ‘You’re right — I could have did that.’

"And then we get out here on the field before practice; he comes out here and shows me a little vet move that I can apply to my game. I just think that’s so cool. It’s one of the greatest feelings knowing I have a guy like Randy Moss out here showing me the way.”

Strib

Vikings-Ravens joint practice recap, Day 2

- Dallas Turner...wow
- Defenses have the edge again
- Vikings shine in 2-min drill

And more: https://t.co/kfuxGyWFWq

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 20, 2026

On a cloudy Thursday that saw a few raindrops fall at TCO Performance Center, the Vikings and Ravens had another day of high-level competition to wrap up joint practices. Both teams will be off on Friday before playing a preseason game on Saturday, which is expected to be contested entirely by backups and reserves from both teams.

Let’s dive into the notebook from day two of joints, leading off with easily the Vikings’ biggest standout from these two sessions.

Turner looks primed for big things

The Vikings’ defense had two impressive days of work against Lamar Jackson and a high-powered Ravens offense. Leading the way in both practices was third-year edge rusher Dallas Turner, who gave Baltimore left tackle Ronnie Stanley (a two-time Pro Bowler) fits with his ability to explode and bend around the edge.

Turner had a couple would-be sacks on Wednesday, and he added at least two more in Thursday’s session. It’s always a little hard to tell in practice, when pass rushers aren’t allowed to contact the quarterback, but even the ultra-elusive Jackson probably would’ve had a hard time escaping Turner on most of these reps.

There was one play on Thursday where Jackson did sense the edge pressure from Turner and stepped up to try to scramble before he could get there, only to head right into the waiting arms of Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins for no gain or perhaps a short loss.

Turner, who the Vikings took 17th overall in 2024, had a fairly quiet first 1.5 seasons before breaking out with 6.5 sacks in the final 8 games of the 2025 campaign, coinciding with Jonathan Greenard being injured. Greenard is now gone, clearing the runway for Turner to play close to an every-down role. The Alabama product is still just 23 years old, and everything we’ve seen over the last couple days (and throughout training camp) supports the idea that he could be in line for a heck of a third NFL season.

Defenses have the edge again

Overall, I thought day two was a fairly similar story to the first day of these joint practices, which is that both the Vikings’ and Ravens’ first-team defenses got the better of the opposing offense.

In addition to Turner’s big day, the Vikings got a couple interceptions against Jackson, although one was a fortunate bounce off of RB Justice Hill’s hands to a waiting Blake Cashman. Vikings cornerback James Pierre, who is actually Jackson’s cousin, got him on a deep ball at the end of practice (more on that period shortly).

One of the focuses of Thursday’s practice was red zone work. In an 11-on-11 period in that area, Theo Jackson nearly picked off a pass on an early rep where Lamar Jackson and Rashod Bateman weren’t on the same page. Eric Wilson is another Vikings player who had a busy day, including multiple sacks of Jackson on blitzes up the middle in that period. The Vikings also looked good against Derrick Henry and Baltimore’s run game. Jackson did bounce back with a nice touchdown to rookie receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in the back of the end zone past Isaiah Rodgers.

In the next 11-on-11 period, with the offenses working on 2nd and 10 into third down situations, Jackson had a nice throw to Zay Flowers but otherwise couldn’t get much going. Vikings rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange each had an interior pressure that led to an incomplete pass downfield.

Meanwhile, on the other field, it was another relatively shaky day for Kyler Murray and the Vikings’ passing game. After completing his first two throws in 7-on-7, Murray’s next six were incomplete (although there was a flag on at least one). He couldn’t connect with Justin Jefferson on two attempts and then had consecutive plays where he wasn’t on the same page with his target (first Jauan Jennings, then Aaron Jones).

In red zone 11-on-11, the Vikings’ offensive line had a bit of trouble keeping Trey Hendrickson and the Ravens’ pass rush out of the backfield. For the second straight day, Marlon Humphrey won some physical battles with Jefferson. On the whole, the Ravens’ defensive backs brought quite a bit of physicality, which led to a few flags. Murray did loft a nice touchdown to Jennings on a floater off of his back foot.

In the next period, Murray and Jefferson were finally able to connect a couple times, including a chunk gain over the middle on a ball that Jefferson bobbled but hauled in. There was also a play where Murray was pressured and couldn’t step into a throw to Jennings, leaving it well short. Under pressure again, he launched a deep ball to Addison but put it just a bit too far.

Vikings thrive in 2-min drill again

For the second day in a row, the Vikings’ offense came to life when it was needed most. Yesterday, it was Murray hitting Jefferson for a touchdown to win the situational drill with the offense down 26-21, needing to get into the end zone. This time, the score was 23-21 with a little over a minute left, so only a field goal was needed. The Vikings got it done, as Murray’s best throw of the day went for 20 yards to Jennings up the right sideline, helping set up a Will Reichard field goal as time expired.

J.J. McCarthy and the second-team offense also converted again. On Wednesday, McCarthy hit Myles Price for a touchdown up the seam. This time, it was rookie running back Demond Claiborne breaking free for a 25-yard touchdown scamper after a couple short completions from McCarthy.

The Vikings’ defense went two for two in the same period. The first-team defense continued to get pressure on Jackson, who eventually tried a bit of a desperation deep ball that was picked off by his cousin, Pierre. The Ravens’ second-team offense, quarterbacked by Tyler Huntley, couldn’t get anything going either. That’s four possessions in that period and four wins for the Vikings, who pride themselves on executing when it matters most.

Other notes

• The Vikings didn’t have any injuries on Wednesday, but there’s one to note from today. Safety Theo Jackson lunged to get a hand on a deep ball and came down awkwardly, seemingly favoring his lower body or midsection. He was able to walk gingerly off the field under his own power. The Vikings’ safety depth is already a bit concerning after Jamal Adams’ season-ending injury and with rookie Jakobe Thomas missing most of the last two weeks due to an ailment.

• One player who has benefited from some of the injuries at safety has been undrafted rookie Jacob Thomas, who has been a training camp standout and tacked on an interception in his preseason debut last Saturday. Thomas got a decent number of reps with the first-team offense on Thursday and nearly picked off Lamar Jackson in 7-on-7 action. At this point, it’s hard to see him not making the 53-man roster.

• McCarthy had some good and some bad on day two. He had a couple nice throws to Dillon Bell and Jeshaun Jones in the back of the end zone in red zone 7s. He also hit Gavin Bartholomew and Price for touchdowns in red zone 11s. But he had some misses as well, including one that sailed over Bell and nearly hit owner Zygi Wilf behind the end zone. Later, McCarthy was rolling right and tried to hit Price, but the throw was jumped for a pick-six by Baltimore safety K’Von Wallace.

• Charles Demmings should’ve had an interception of Huntley in 7-on-7 but the ball caromed off of his hands.

• There were a few productive runs from the Vikings, including one where Josh Oliver drove Roquan Smith backward to create space for Aaron Jones. Claiborne had a good day with the twos, highlighted by his late touchdown. No fumbles today.

• Again, the Vikings and Ravens did well to not let anything boil over into brawl territory. Things got chippy on a handful of reps, including one where Jake Golday popped a backup running back up high in the hole.

• I thought it was a good day for Banks, who will be looking to rebound from a tough preseason debut when he takes the field on Saturday. He was fired up after bursting through the line of scrimmage for a run stop at one point, and he also flashed a little in the pass game. I’m curious to see what kind of adjustments he makes in this weekend’s game.

A lot to come @TheAthletic from Vikings joint practices with the Ravens. Some quick takeaways: The run game looked much improved today, and the defense dominated in every sense of the word.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 20, 2026

Byron Murphy Jr.: "That's probably my most fun, best joint practices since I've been in the league."

In case you wondered how it went for the defense. https://t.co/oALKTB0W6C

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) August 20, 2026

Jefferson and Addison had some nice grabs today in 1-on-1s with the Ravens.

Was fun to watch the last two days, wraps up Saturday with a preseason game. https://t.co/GuwCE0K978

— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) August 20, 2026

Jefferson said afterwards that the offense is making progress and acknowledged what quarterback Kyler Murray said this spring:

Splitting reps was an added challenge.

"Obviously [Murray] taking all of the 'ones' reps kind of allows us to get in the rhythm and get into the groove of things," Jefferson said. "And you don't really have to rely on having a catch on both footballs from two different people. So I mean, just like he said, he felt that the reps was a little short and he felt more comfortable having more reps.

"So now he has it and the connection is definitely growing. Work needs to be done, but it comes with time and comes with just coming out here and just working together."

Espn

purplefaithful wrote:

Myles Price had a hard time containing his excitement when asked about what it was like having Randy Moss in the Vikings’ receiver meeting.
“He was sitting right next to me. He was giving me, like, tips. I couldn’t believe it! I’m not gonna lie. He’s sitting casually, I’m eating my food, and he’s like, ‘Hey, you could have gave him this instead of that.’ I’m like, ‘You’re right — I could have did that.’
"And then we get out here on the field before practice; he comes out here and shows me a little vet move that I can apply to my game. I just think that’s so cool. It’s one of the greatest feelings knowing I have a guy like Randy Moss out here showing me the way.”
Strib

I wonder if Moss is contemplating a WR coach role with the Vikings at some point.