EAGAN Keelan Cole Color Rush Jersey , Minn. ¡ª Jacksonville and Minnesota each fell one game short of the Super Bowl last season, and they had another important trait in common, too.Dominant defense.More Vikings coverageVikings coordinators: Defending Brees, Holton Hill¡¯s role, a Minneapolis Miracle story and moreWATCH: The second annual Minnesota Sports AwardsVikings welcome Everson Griffen back to practiceVikings captain Griffen returns to team activitiesVikings Snap Counts: Rookie Hill shines with Rhodes ailingThe Vikings finished first in the NFL last season with both the fewest yards and points allowed, and that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the Jaguars. They were second and, naturally, not pleased about it.These joint practices the teams conducted in Minnesota this week naturally gave Jacksonville¡¯s proud group another opportunity to show off those skills, even if there was no obvious way to compare. Jaguars coach Doug Marrone even needled his players a little before the trip as another way to bring out their best.As the second day of sessions at the sparkling, sprawling Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in suburban Minneapolis wrapped up after a thunderstorm interruption on Thursday afternoon, the takeaway was clear from both sides.That other team is good.The time was well spent.¡°I would consider it again. I think it depends on the team and things like that. Both teams were very respectful of one another,¡± Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said after practice. ¡°There was really no fighting or nothing like that. No trash talking. It went really smooth.¡±The Jaguars and Vikings will play on Saturday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium. Then they¡¯ll go their separate ways for likely a few years, unless they are able to take that final step and match up in the Super Bowl. This experience, particularly facing these star-packed defenses, ought to stick with them for a while.¡°It¡¯s a great reminder of why practice is so important every week during the season,¡± Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins said, ¡°because each defense has those nuances that, if you¡¯re not on top of it, will make for a long day on Sundays.¡±Fortunately for the Vikings, the Jaguars aren¡¯t on their 2018 regular-season schedule. Defensive end Calais Campbell had a disruptive couple of days going against the Vikings and their injury-thinned offensive line.¡°They¡¯ve got names, they¡¯ve got experience, and they¡¯ve got production,¡± Cousins said. ¡°Certainly that¡¯s where a lot of great defenses are founded, is on the defensive line. I have a lot of respect for their group up front.¡±Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles had his share of plays thwarted by the Vikings.¡°When you see the matchups and you look at the talent on the other side of the ball, you¡¯re looking at that and you¡¯re saying, `Listen, these are the type of players that you have to go against to be a heck of a football team in the NFL,'¡± Marrone said.For Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who¡¯s now past the 10-month mark in his recovery from reconstructive ACL surgery on his left knee that cut short a promising rookie season, the Jaguars defense was a welcome sight.¡°I was pumped up. It actually felt like I was going into a game,¡± said Cook Malik Jackson Jersey , who was held out of the exhibition opener at Denver last week and might remain on the sideline as a precaution on Saturday.Though there were no late hits or unnecessarily rough stuff, facing the Jaguars gave Cook some valuable time against a defense that wasn¡¯t his own.¡°Your guys take care of you, but with those guys coming in you have to react a little different,¡± Cook said. ¡°You have to cut. You have to do things differently. We take care of those guys, but there is just a little different vibe to it. You have to have a little pep in your step.¡±One of the players not present remained a primary talking point: Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He was left behind for disciplinary reasons and, earlier this week, made waves for his blunt commentary about opposing quarterbacks around the league published in a GQ magazine article .¡°He has opinions, and he likes voicing them. That makes him a special guy. I love how authentic he is. He doesn¡¯t beat around the bush at all. That might make some guys try to play their best games against us, but that¡¯s how it¡¯s supposed to be anyway,¡± Campbell said, adding: ¡°We¡¯ll rally behind him, we¡¯ll play hard together and hopefully we can make him look like he knows what he¡¯s talking about.¡± The Jaguars come off the bye week and enter the second half of what¡¯s been one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history today, as they travel to the midwest and LucasOil Stadium to take on Andrew Luck for the first time since 2016 in a battle to avoid the cellar of the AFC South.Follow along with us as we bring you live coverage throughout the day and post-game.Live blog:4:10 PM: The Jaguars defense holds and Adam Vinatieri misses a field goal attempt to give the offense one more shot. Bortles moves them downfield, but Rashad Greene fumbles at the Colts 30, and the game is over. What a disaster. Thanks for joining us.3:50 PM: After the defense holds, Bortles and the Jags make their way down field with more combinations of ¡°dink and doink¡± offense, enough to get into range for Lambo to connect for a 55 yard field goal. It¡¯s 29-26 Colts, with under 4 minutes remaining in the game. The defense needs a stop.3:33 PM: The offense converts a couple of third and long situations, before they succumb to one too many attempts with the down and distance against them, as Bortles is hit and pass is deflected on a 3rd & 11 play. Cooke punts and pins the Colts inside their 10 with 10 minutes left in the game.3:25 PM: INTERCEPTION! Telvin Smith makes the first big play of this season for him, as he picks off a deflected pass from the hands of the tight end Cox. The Jags get the ball at their 36 yard line, as they were moving the ball into scoring territory, huge play.3:20 PM: The Jaguars get the ball haphazardly into field goal range, but Lambo misses from 52 yards out, and the Colts take over.3:11 PM: The defense forces a three and out for only the second time today, thanks in part to a holding penalty on the Colts. One interesting note, Jalen Ramsey is seeing time as the single-high safety on several drives now. Also, Brandon Linder has a knee injury and had to be carted off the field earlier, he is out for the remainder of the game and I¡¯d imagine some time after. 29-23 Colts, with 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter.3:04 PM: TOUCHDOWN! After the Jaguars convert on a fake field goal pass from Logan Cooke to James O¡¯Shaughnessy on 4th & 3, the Jaguars metriculate the ball downfield and cash in with a 1 yard pass from Bortles to Fournette for Leonard¡¯s second touchdown of the game. Lambo¡¯s kick is good this time https://www.jaguarsfanstore.com/Cam-Robinson-Jersey , and we have a one-score game at 29-23 Colts. Unfortunately, the defense now has to come on the field...I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m writing that.2:53 PM: The Jaguars have opened the second half with a substantial drive heading into Colts territory as Fournette converts a couple of 3rd and short situations. Fournette has yet to break a big run as yet, but his presence on short yardage situations has been felt. Drive has been stopped as Brandon Linder has gone down with a lower body injury and is being worked on by trainers.2:30 PM: Jacksonville gets another good kick return from DJ Chark and is able to work their way into the Colts territory, before settling for a Josh Lambo field goal. The Colts lead at half time, 29-16.2:20 PM: Thanks to multiple dumb penalties by Malik Jackson & Myles Jack respectively, the Colts drive into Jags territory again, and again Luck finds his tight end Cox for a Colts touchdown. The Jaguars defense has given up 300 yards, mostly through the air, and looks like the 2015 Jaguars. 1:46 left in the first half, and sadly we have another half of this to go.Marlon Mack takes the hand off into the end zone after another penalty gives the Colts a chance at the conversion from the 2 yard line. 29-13 Colts. It¡¯s time to start talking Draft.2:00 PM: TOUCHDOWN! The Jaguars offense responds on the legs of Fournette, mostly thanks to a screen pass taken from the Colts 40 down inside the 5 yard line. Three tries later, 27 sticks it in for the score. However, Lambo¡¯s kick is blocked and nearly returned for two points, but a Colts penalty negates the score. Colts lead 21-13, as we are more than halfway through half number one.1:54 PM: The Jaguars listlessly go three and out, and the Colts respond with another Luck to Ebron touchdown pass, this time from 30 yards or so out. Ebron was more open than a Waffle House in a storm. 21-7 Crushing Colts. The defense looks completely drunk.1:38 PM: The Colts march right down the field, thanks mostly to a continuation of blown coverages by the Jaguars back end of the defense. Ebron takes a pitch 6 yards to punch it in for a Colts touchdown. The linebackers and secondary for the Jags looks absolutely lost and it¡¯s a trend that is growing. 14-7 Colts.1:28 PM: TOUCHDOWN! After the Jags defense forces a three and out, the Jaguars take over at their own 3 yard line, and following a couple of Fournette runs and a Westbrook reception to keep the chains moving, Bortles finds the former Colt Donte Moncrief for an 80 yard touchdown pass. It was one of Blake¡¯s best passes of the season, hitting Moncrief in stride between two defenders. 7-7 tie.1:16 PM: The Jaguars offense gets a first down thanks to a holding penalty against the Colts, but does absolutely nothing else. Fournette is unable to get any positive movement and the Jaguars punt following a Yeldon run on 3rd & 9.1:08 PM: On a 2nd &12, the Jaguars blow an assignment in the secondary allowing Luck to find tight end Eric Ebron for a 40 yard touchdown. The safeties have been an area of concern over the last month and it doesnt seem to have been resolved. 7-0 Colts.1:02 PM: The Jaguars won the toss and deferred. We will see Andrew Luck vs. Sacksonville to start off. 12:48 PM: It appears there is some confusion over who the starting left tackle will be.11:46 AM: Here are today¡¯s inactives for the Jaguars, and the official confirmation we will see #27. Ereck Flowers will start at left tackle, Tyler Patmon starts in place of AJ Bouye, and we will see the return of DJ Hayden to the nickel corner spot for the first time since Week 2. 11:40 AM: Good morning. First and foremost, from all of us at Big Cat Country to all of you reading who are currently serving or have served our nation in the military, thank you for your service! The biggest news today will be the return of Leonard Fournette and what impact it has on the offense which has been mediocre at best since his departure. Color me skeptical that it makes a huge difference, but we¡¯ll see.