MANKATO, Minn. — The Vikings have earned a day off.
Players went through their third consecutive day in full pads Monday and will have their first break of camp on Tuesday.
The Vikings wrapped up the first part of training camp with a two-hour practice in warm conditions.
Minnesota will be back on a regular schedule on Wednesday, holding a walk-through from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and practice from 2:45-5:10 p.m.
Here are three observations from Monday's session:
1. Energy and intensity
There were plenty of spirited moments Monday, but a 1-on-1 drill inside the 5-yard line brought out the most between wide receivers and defensive backs.
Xavier Rhodes and Jayron Kearse looked strong in coverage, and Isaac Fruechte beat defenders for touchdowns on two separate occasions.
The battle between former Notre Dame teammates Harrison Smith and Michael Floyd was one of the best of the day, as Floyd drew a penalty flag. The wide receiver also made an athletic grab over Terrell Sinkfield for a score.
RJ Shelton snuck by Andrew Sendejo on an outside move, and Laquon Treadwell wrapped up the drill by making a fingertip grab for a touchdown while being guarded by Antone Exum.
2. Putting on the pressure
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer continued a trend of putting his team in a game-like situation at the end of practice — and the first and second defenses earned wins.
With the ball at the opponents' 30-yard-line and less than two minutes remaining, the Vikings first-team offense was held to a 48-yard field goal by Marshall Koehn. Defensive tackle Tom Johnson made the play of the series by stopping Dalvin Cook for a big loss in the backfield.
Minnesota's second-team defense then took the field as the second-team offense went the other way from its own 25, but the drive lasted just one play as Exum picked off Case Keenum.
3. Red zone work
Smith stood out in a team red zone drill as he twice knocked away passes intended for tight end Kyle Rudolph — another former college teammates.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen caught a 4-yard touchdown from quarterback Sam Bradford for the first-team offense.
The third-team offense ran just three plays inside the 10-yard line, but Fruechte took advantage by catching a pair of touchdowns.
