There was no doubt that the New England Patriots would face their toughest test of the preseason when traveling to Eagan for joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings.
And that difficulty lived up to the hype on Wednesday.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, a former longtime Patriots coach, brought the heat at practice, challenging the two rookie offensive linemen, Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, and putting constant pressure on quarterback Drake Maye.
It was a physical practice that forced the Patriots to step up their game, which is exactly what the coaches want in this kind of setting.