EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings wrapped up a weekend of practice Sunday afternoon at Verizon Vikings Training Camp.
The team practiced in helmets and shorts for more than two hours on an overcast afternoon at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.
Minnesota is scheduled to hold a walk-through from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, followed by what is expected to be the first padded practice from 2:45-5 p.m.
Here are three observations from Sunday's session:
1. Sherels snags an INT
The first interception of training camp went to … Marcus Sherels.
The veteran cornerback and punt return master drew a large cheer during team drills when he intercepted Kyle Sloter.
The quarterback faked a handoff before looking to his right on a slant pattern for wide receiver Jeff Badet. But the 5-foot-10 Sherels read the play perfectly, leaping in front of Badet to cause the turnover.
Linebackers Eric Kendricks and Ben Gedeon nearly had picks earlier in practice before Sherels snagged his.
2. Momentum changer
A score before halftime is usually a momentum builder heading into the locker room, and the Vikings offense came through in such a situation Sunday.
The first-team offense was in the red zone with 55 seconds left in the second quarter trailing 10-0. Running back Latavius Murray gained 5 yards on the ground before catching a short pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to set up third-and-3 from the 8-yard line.
Cousins then fired a strike to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who muscled his way into the end zone to pull the Vikings offense within one score in the game situation.
3. Give and take in the screen game
One of the flashiest plays Sunday came in the screen game during team drills.
Cousins patiently waited for running back Dalvin Cook to break free from the backfield before lobbing him a screen pass that would have gone for 30-plus yards. Left guard Danny Isidora, who ran with the first team Sunday, had a block on Kendricks while right guard Mike Remmers led the way downfield for Cook.
But the defense evened the playing field later in practice as another screen attempt for Cook was sniffed out by Kendricks, linebacker Anthony Barr and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson. Cook would have likely been stopped for a loss on the play.
