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MANKATO, Minn. -- On their last day at training camp last year, the Minnesota Vikings had practice halted early with a punitive lap around the field for the players after coach Mike Zimmer was angered by a lack of effort and focus.This time, the final workout on campus at Minnesota State University wrapped up about an hour ahead of schedule following a fight between linemen and prior to the arrival of a severe thunderstorm.Hey, thats progress.There are always a lot more things you want to do, but I think we hit all the situations that we need to hit, Zimmer said. Its nice having a veteran team.The collective age of the roster is still on the young side, even by NFL standards, but Zimmer was referring more to the benefit of this being the third season under the guidance of him and his staff. The assignments, concepts and techniques on both sides of the ball are coming along much more efficiently and naturally than before.Emboldened by their hold on the NFC North title but bothered by the one-point loss to Seattle at home in the playoffs, the Vikings have spoken often this year of the strength of their chemistry, the tussle on Tuesday between nose tackle Linval Joseph and right guard Brandon Fusco notwithstanding.The hunger to advance further in the postseason has been palpable around the team, with the extra excitement of opening a new stadium.These guys, man, theyre hard workers. Each and every individual, said linebacker Emmanuel Lamur, who signed with the Vikings this year.Most of the veterans, the guys that played 10 years in the league here, theyre still busting their butt. They dont take days off. That says a lot about their character and just about their integrity. It motivates the younger guys to push as hard.Zimmer was in a grumpier mood on Monday, even pulling a folded piece of paper out of his pocket to cite the list of transgressions his players committed, a sign of his demanding nature and of the reality that theres still a long way to go for the Vikings to reach the elite of the league.We fumbled the snaps. We jumped offside. Receivers jumped offside. We had a hurt guy who didnt come to treatment. A running back went the wrong way twice. We screwed up a fourth-and-20. What else do you want to know? Zimmer said after that unsatisfactory practice, during which he ordered the entire team to drop for 10 push-ups.There were eight players not participating Tuesday, beyond those (tight end Rhett Ellison, right guard Mike Harris and quarterback Taylor Heinicke) who have been unable to practice at all since camp began: defensive tackles Scott Crichton and Sharrif Floyd, left tackle Matt Kalil, middle linebacker Eric Kendricks, cornerback Terence Newman, outside linebackers Edmond Robinson and Brandon Watts and wide receiver Jarius Wright.The Vikings havent revealed the nature of any of their injuries, but Kalil had a sleeve on his left knee and Newman wore a wrap on his right ankle. Zimmer declined to speculate about whether any of them would take part in the joint practices with Cincinnati on Wednesday and Thursday or the exhibition game on Friday against the Bengals.One player who has been healthy is center John Sullivan, who has returned from the back injury that kept him out of the entire 2015 season.While Andre Smith has put himself in position to be the right tackle, Sullivan remains in a competition with Joe Berger for the other open starting spot on an improved offensive line. Zimmer said hes eager to see Sullivan block stalwart nose tackle Domata Peko, who has started his 11th season with the Bengals.Everybody has good days and bad days, Zimmer said. Thats why itll be a good test.With that, the Vikings were on to Cincinnati.---Online: AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFLTytus Howard Texans Jersey . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. Deshaun Watson Womens Jersey .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. http://www.officialhoustontexanspro.com/Arian-foster-texans-jersey/ . Roman Josi had a goal and an assist to lead the Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night. Cullen Gillaspia Womens Jersey .Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. Max Scharping Texans Jersey . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst laments his teams small margin of error.Right now, were not that explosive of an offense, he said. Right now, were not putting a ton of points on the board.Yet the 7th-ranked Badgers (7-2, 4-2) are in position to win the Big Ten Conferences West Division if they can win their final three regular season games, starting with Saturdays visit from Illinois.The reasons? Defense and discipline, traits that will play well anywhere. Wisconsin is a top 15 unit nationally in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense. It ranks fifth in FBS in scoring defense, giving up 13.8 points per game.And the Badgers play a clean game week after week. They are second in FBS in fewest penalties with only 24 in nine games and are on pace to be the least-penalized team in school history. In its last three games, Wisconsin has committed exactly two penalties.It comes down to everyone being disciplined and everyone really trusting their technique and trusting each other, tight end Troy Fumagalli said. Just doing their jobs sound. I think its a testament to the way we practice and the way were taught the game.First-year coach Lovie Smith is hoping to instill some of that discipline into his program. The former NFL head coach has experienced some rocky times with the Fighting Illini, a team with a spate of potential NFL draft picks in their front seven that simply doesnt have enough high-level players to consistently win in the Big 10.Illinois (3-6, 2-4) led the conference in penalties most of the year, a spot it finally vacated last week when it sent Michigan State careening to its seventh straight loss with a 31-27 verdict that kept its slender bowl hopes alive.What you see is a traditional Big 10 powerhouse, Smith said. Big emphasis on running the football, play-action passes, good hard-nosed defense on the other side of the ball, playing together as a team. Thats what were going to see.We know were going to have to be at the top of our game. Well need to play better than we did this past week. We realize who were playing, but what an opportunity for our young football team to have a chance to play a great team like that.ddddddddddddOn paper, this doesnt look like a good matchup for the Illini. Their offense has had trouble scoring, hampered by injuries at the quarterback position that have forced them to start third-stringer Jeff George, Jr. the last three games.After struggling in most aspects of the game in one-sided losses against No. 2 Michigan and Minnesota, George engineered a game-winning drive against Michigan State. George found Sam Mays for a 16-yard scoring strike with 1:40 left, the highlight of a 13-of-29, 140-yard day.I think you just get to the point where you keep pounding the rock, eventually you see a crack, Smith said. I think you just stay the course and eventually you get over the hump. I think thats where we are -- we got over the hump last week.Last weeks hump looks more like an anthill compared to this one. George appears likely to start again as senior Wes Lunt, the quarterback for the past 2 ? seasons, continues to nurse a back injury that has sidelined him for four straight games.Its not known if wide receiver Malik Turner, by far Illinois leading receiver, will be able to play after sitting out the Michigan State game with a concussion. Turners potential absence will put more pressure on a running game fronted last week by Kendrick Fosters 146-yard, two-touchdown effort.As for the Badgers, theyre coming off a 21-7 win last week at Northwestern in which they outrushed the Wildcats 190-39. Corey Clement rushed 32 times for 106 yards and a touchdown, helping Wisconsin possess the ball for more than 40 minutes.Sporting five freshmen or sophomores in their offensive lineup, the Badgers have been hurt by inconsistency. They rank 98th in scoring, 110th in touchdowns and 113th in red-zone conversion ratio. They are on pace to average their fewest points and yards since 2004.Weve played good teams, Chryst said. Against good teams, youre going to have a smaller margin for error.But Wisconsins defense has taken up the slack, and then some. ' ' '