Category: Training Camp

Vikings announce time change for Wednesday’s practice

Due to heat in the area, the Minnesota Vikings have moved their start time for Wednesday’s practice up an hour.

The Minnesota Vikings have announced a time change in their joint practice sessions with the Arizona Cardinals, the team announced on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

Due to the anticipated heat, the Vikings have moved their joint practice session on Wednesday, Aug. 23, to 11 A.M. The practice was originally scheduled to begin at noon.

Temperatures can reach up to 99 F, and an excessive heat warning is in place until Wednesday night.

While moving the practice up an hour won’t change the heat, it should allow for a smoother practice that isn’t interrupted. However, the temperature change will likely see a significant shift in the schedule, with additional water breaks being included.

Wednesday’s joint session with the Cardinals is the first of two scheduled for this week. After practices on Wednesday and Thursday, the Vikings and Cardinals will meet for their preseason finale on Saturday. Kickoff for the preseason game is scheduled for 1 P.M.

Texans encouraged with C Juice Scruggs’ development

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says he likes the progress he has seen from rookie center Juice Scruggs.

Offensive linemen tend to be overlooked, particularly along the interior. Only those who study the film — coaches and scouts — truly appreciate the work from an interior offensive lineman.

Count Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans among the small number that has appreciation for guard and center play in the NFL. After former starting center Scott Quessenberry went down in early August with a torn ACL and MCL, the interior has been a problematic area for the Texans. However, there may be help from within.

Second-round center Juice Scruggs filled the void, and according to Ryans, who met with reporters Monday, the Penn State product is establishing himself as a starter in his own right.

“I thought Juice did a really nice job of communicating, first and foremost,” Ryans said. “At that center position, we ask a lot of him in communicating, and you see a young guy as a rookie in him handle the communication that he has to handle up front. It’s very impressive with how far along he is to be such a young player, so very encouraged with where Juice is and knowing how much better he’s going to be as he continues to get reps and continues to play with the same guys around him. So, it’s impressive to see.”

Scruggs remains atop the depth chart as the Texans gear up for their preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints. Aug. 20 at the Caesars Superdome. Michael Deiter and Jimmy Morrissey are reserves behind Scruggs.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=46913517]

DeMeco Ryans clarifies why Texans canceled joint practices with Saints

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans gave reason as to why the team canceled their joint training camp practices with the New Orleans Saints.

HOUSTON — On Sunday night, the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints released a joint statement that their joint training camp practices in Metairie, La. the upcoming week would be canceled.

The Texans held joint practices with the Miami Dolphins Aug. 16-17 ahead of their Week 2 preseason game. During the week, both teams sustained injuries, leading to the decision to cancel the joint practices with the Saints.

Houston coach DeMeco Ryans addressed the issue on Monday during his press conference, and expressed gratitude to Saints coach Dennis Allen for understanding.

“With canceling the joint practices with the Saints, it is where we are as a team, a little banged up, so I thought it was in the best interest of our team and putting our guys first,” Ryans said. “I am thankful to Dennis and the Saints for the opportunity to have joint practices and with them working with us and being understandable. One thing we always talk about is a team-first mentality, and that went into the decision.

“Just looking at our team and where we are now, it would not have been as productive as we would have liked it to be if we went to New Orleans. The flip side of it is that we get the opportunity to treat this week as a normal in-season game week for us. There is benefits to that for our whole entire team and coaching staff to be able to go through the process of a normal in-season week.”

Houston will play their final preseason game against the Saints on Sunday night at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. Central.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Texans, Saints cancel joint training camp practice

The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints have announced they will not hold joint practices together leading into their Aug. 27 preseason game.

The Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints will have a regular week of practices separately leading into their preseason finale Aug. 27.

The Texans and Saints released a joint statement Sunday night announcing the cancellation of their joint practices that were set for this week.

“Our two teams have mutually agreed to cancel the joint practices that were scheduled in New Orleans this week. After our head coaches spoke earlier today, we decided this was in the best interest of both teams as we continue to prepare for the regular season. A revised practice schedule for each team will be communicated once finalized.”

The Texans spent Aug. 17-18 conducting joint training camp practices with the Miami Dolphins, and played their preseason game on Aug. 19 at NRG Stadium.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=46913517]

10 Bears players to watch on Saturday vs. Colts

Here are 10 Bears players to keep an eye on when they take on the Indianapolis Colts this weekend.

Preseason game No. 2 is on deck for the Chicago Bears this weekend as they prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. This week’s squad will look a bit different than the one that took down the Tennessee Titans 23-17 last weekend, however.

According to head coach Matt Eberflus, quarterback Justin Fields and a few other select starters will not suit up,  The Bears coaching staff believes Fields and others put in plenty of work this week when they held two joint practices with the Colts at their facilities in Westfield, IN.

Even with some of the starters out, there are still many intriguing players worth watching as the Bears look to solidify their team. Many backups and reserves will receive more playing time as a result of Eberflus’ decision, which will help determine the back half of the roster as the regular season inches closer.

Here are 10 players we’ll be watching when the Bears and Colts kick off on Saturday evening at 6 pm CT.

Texans DE Will Anderson says ‘They sleep on my power’

Houston Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson has noticed offensive linemen presume he is strictly an edge rusher with speed.

The Houston Texans’ joint training camp practices with the Miami Dolphins were beneficial as it gave both rosters a chance to work against guys who don’t have familiarity, which is closer to what an NFL season is truly like.

What Texans rookie defensive end Will Anderson picked up on during the two days of joint sessions with Miami was how the offensive linemen treated him as mostly a speedy edge rusher.

Anderson shared with reporters Aug. 16 how he used other traits to counter his speed.

“Oh, yeah, really because they sleep on my power,” Anderson said. “So, they see me and my front and they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s probably just a speed guy,’ and then boom — I hit them with power as a counter, anything like that. So, it’s just good having that speed to power — a lot of people wouldn’t think that my body type would have that.”

The two-time Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year generated 34.5 sacks over three seasons at Alabama. Most of the sacks were due to the 6-4, 243-pounder’s agility and quickness, although another element remained.

Whether using speed or brawn, Anderson is well aware that hand placement is crucial to setting up his first move, a tenet of coach DeMeco Ryans’ new system.

Said Anderson: “The first step is the most important step — getting off the ball. And your hand placement, Coach [Ryans] always harps on that, having great hands, having great feet. Those two things tie together really well. So, just making sure that your hands are right on the breastplate of the tackle, not getting up too high so that he can get underneath you. Those are things that you watch on film and come back and get better at.”

Anderson will have another opportunity to demonstrate his speed and power as the Texans host the Dolphins for their second preseason game Aug. 19 at NRG Stadium.

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=601915565]

DeMarcus Walker excited to see this Bears defense when healthy 

DeMarcus Walker is eager to see this Bears defense when everyone is back healthy: “Man, I just want to see all the gangsters together.”

The Chicago Bears defense has been bringing the energy and physicality this summer, and that continued into joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts.

The Bears defense set the tone for those practices, where the Colts had to match them. It’s part of the HITS principle that has become the identity of this team under head coach Matt Eberflus.

While the defense dominated Thursday’s practice, it wasn’t even the entire starting defense. Several starters remain sidelined with injuries — that Eberflus noted aren’t serious — with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker.

Defensive end DeMarcus Walker, who recently returned from his stint on the injured list, is eager to see this Bears defense in its entirety when everyone is back healthy and ready to set the tone for the season.

“Man, I just want to see all the gangsters together,” Walker said, via The Athletic. “You know what I’m saying. I want to see all the gangsters together. With everybody healthy and everybody of one mind. One team. One defense. I can’t even tell you …”

While those injured starters are staying involved and meetings in such, it’s difficult to get the communication down, especially with MIKE linebacker Edmunds still sidelined.

“You’re missing your MIKE linebacker and that’s part of football,” Eberflus said. “We need to get the communication here with the guys that are running the defense.”

Eberflus has been forthcoming about the statuses of those injured players, nothing there’s no long-term concerns. So the expectation is the Bears will have their entire starting defense on the field come Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. Just as Walker wished.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=103]

5 standout Bears from Day 2 of joint practice with Colts

With Bears-Colts joint practices in the books, here are the players who impressed on Day 2.

The Chicago Bears training camp has officially concluded following the Bears’ second joint practice with the Colts in Indianapolis, with Chicago playing their second preseason game on Saturday.

All facets of the team ended their 2023 training camp on a strong note, as Chicago reportedly outplayed the Colts by a sizeable margin.

The usual suspects rose to the occasion, but some new faces impressed enough to make it on the list. Without further ado, let’s go through the standout players in the Bears’ final day of training camp.

Texans RB Dameon Pierce found practices with the Dolphins ‘motivating’

Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce says he found the joint training camp practices with the Miami Dolphins to be “motivating.”

Dameon Pierce had heard about joint practices from the annals of the Houston Texans, but he had yet to experience one.

The Texans had not participated in joint practices since 2019 with the Detroit Lions. Whether it was the COVID-19 lockdowns or getting used to a new coaching staff, Houston chose not to participate in joint camps for the the past three seasons.

The Texans’ feature back told reporters Aug. 17 he appreciated the joint practices with the Dolphins as it kept his motivation at a high level.

“Just actually having my own and going against Bradley Chubb and guys like that, and seeing Tyreek [Hill] yesterday and seeing Tua [Tagovailoa] work,” Pierce said. “You know, it’s motivating to see all those guys practice, see how those guys stack days, and it gave us an opportunity to see where we’re at against another color, you know what I’m saying?”

While the Texans go against the Dolphins Aug. 19 for a second preseason game at NRG Stadium, Pierce admits, “practices are different.”

Said Pierce: “It’s a little more intense, little more methodical. We’re running more plays, doing different things that we would do in a game, so it’s really like playing live ball and how we react to some of those guys.”

Pierce, who generated 939 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns through 13 games last season, labeled the joint practices with Miami as, “great work.”

“Great work upfront, great work by the linebackers,” said Pierce. “Secondary and receivers were battling. I felt like it was a great practice overall.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=1365]

Photos from Day 2 of Bears-Colts joint practices

The Bears and Colts held their second joint practice on Thursday. Take a look at the action:

The Chicago Bears conducted their second joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts ahead of their preseason game on Saturday, which featured plenty of highlights.

The Bears defense dominated the Colts offense, making things difficult on quarterback Anthony Richardson. Meanwhile, the offense had its ups and downs, although quarterback Justin Fields shined.

Here’s a look at some photos from Thursday’s practice: