The Baltimore Ravens and the Minnesota Vikings each have designs on returning to the playoffs after underperforming in 2025 and making significant changes.
Both teams have big plans for this week involving each other, too.
The joint practices preferred across the NFL for regular-season readiness over putting important players at injury risk in exhibition games could hardly be more ideal for these teams and their particular makeups.
The Ravens under new coach Jesse Minter are focused on reviving a defense that stumbled in predecessor John Harbaugh's 18th year before his firing. The Vikings are breaking in yet another new quarterback in Kyler Murray, who will be their fourth season-opening starter in four years.
The NFL's only two teams with purple as a primary uniform color held their first of two dual sessions on a sunny Wednesday afternoon at Minnesota's spacious practice facility.
“This is a huge part of where our league’s going moving forward to prepare players for the season and we need to be able to use these days and practice the right way,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said.
As is often the case with these workouts, the defenses on both sides had the upper hand. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was true to his play-calling reputation by sending a variety of blitzes at the Ravens' offense in full-team drills. Lamar Jackson had little time to throw to intermediate or deep routes with the pressure Flores had his players generating.
“It’s a great test. It’s a unique scheme,” said Minter, who was previously the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers. “He does a great job. I have tons of respect for him.”
Vikings receivers savor tips from Randy Moss, get stiff tests from Ravens defense
Myles Price has been a standout performer throughout training camp for the Minnesota Vikings.
His experience got even better this week.
The second-year wide receiver, who made the team as an undrafted rookie last season after winning both the kickoff returner and punt returner jobs, has elevated his game as a pass-catcher and route-runner enough this summer to put himself in position for a depth role on offense.
The 5-foot-9 Price, who played four years at Texas Tech before finishing his college career in 2024 at Indiana, has made multiple highlight-reel catches during open-to-the-public practices, including an in-traffic snag of a pass by J.J. McCarthy that ended a two-minute drill and concluded a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday.
Price impressed a prominent visitor, too. Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss, who was in Minnesota this week as a guest of the Vikings, sat in on a position group meeting, spent time with players and watched both days of dual workouts with the Ravens.
“He was sitting right next to me. He was giving me tips. I couldn’t believe it. I’m not going to lie,” Price said Thursday, his face beaming with pride. “Then we come out on the field before practice, and he comes here and shows me a little move. I think that is so cool.”
Even for Justin Jefferson, the time with Moss was particularly meaningful. The two-time All-Pro, who has broken some of his predecessor's records, sounded almost as awestruck as Price when reflecting on their interactions around the facility.
“The information that he has is just endless,” Jefferson said, before making sure to pay respect to his current position coach: “There’s no better person out here — beside maybe Keenan McCardell — who can teach me different things of how to be a true route runner, how to be a true receiver.”
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, who had Moss as a teammate with the New England Patriots in 2008, said he had a goal since being hired in Minnesota to get Moss around the team whenever possible.
“He talks to me more now than he did when I was teammates with him,” O'Connell said. “I remind him of that often, but I love him.”
The Ravens and their defense under new coach Jesse Minter provided plenty of valuable moments for the Vikings, too, especially considering neither team was planning to play starters in the preseason game on Saturday.
Cornerback Marlon Humphrey, himself a two-time All-Pro, presented Jefferson plenty of challenges in their one-on-one matchups.
“It felt good to win some battles against him,” Humphrey said on Thursday. “He got me on some.”
One of those came near the end of the workout on Wednesday during a two-minute drill the Vikings owned, when Kyler Murray threaded a pass through a double team to hit Jefferson in stride. Though Murray has had an uneven camp while learning a new offense and only taking full-time turns with the first team since being named the starter last week, his connection with Jefferson has stood out.
“It's definitely rolling as time goes on,” Jefferson said. “As much as he sees me in practice and seeing how I run my routes and the timing and everything, everything’s going to come together.”
Special teams drills get feisty, but the practice was generally fight-free
Minter and O'Connell warned their players not to engage in or initiate any unsportsmanlike conduct, which typically pops up in at least a couple of joint practices across the league each summer. The Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints had multiple fights break out this week.
“There’s just no place for it,” O'Connell said.
For the most part, the players heeded the message. One-on-one kick coverage drills, mostly comprised of young players trying to impress enough to make the team, were particularly intense. Ravens cornerback Keyon Martin, who also had several pass breakups on defense during those drills, threw a punch at Vikings cornerback Da'Veawn Armstead at the end of their feisty matchup. But after several teammates joined the mild shoving match, order was restored.
“Everybody’s a grown man out here,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton said. “If you feel somebody tried you a certain way and you feel like you need to do something about it, do something about it, but it’s not like that’s the goal.”
