Arizona Cardinals wilt in Minnesota humidity on Day 1 of joint practice with Vikings

EAGAN, Minn. — Temperatures reached close to 100 degrees in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area Wednesday, where the Arizona Cardinals went through the first of two joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings.

One might figure that the Cardinals would be used to such high heat, coming from Arizona. But 50 percent humidity made things difficult on a day in which the host team was better on both offense and defense.

The Vikings seemed to have more energy. They made more plays, while the Cardinals didn't throw the ball downfield much and got bogged down on offense by pre-snap penalties. Vikings fans in attendance roared in appreciation of the several successful plays against Arizona's defense, and the team that plays in the snowy north in wintertime looked more comfortable in the hot sun.

"I think we kind of let the weather, you know, dictate how we were attacking our work today. I'm excited to see how we bounce back tomorrow. Tomorrow's gonna be another hot day," linebacker Josh Woods said. "What I'm expecting is these guys will see that their effort wasn't maximized today. And then we'll bounce back tomorrow and have a better practice."

Running back James Conner stopped short of calling the experience "humbling" when asked about the practice. He said the pre-snap miscues stood out.

"Got a good sweat in," Cardinals running back James Conner said after the two-hour session. "Knowing what to expect the second day and to get a chance to hydrate (Wednesday night), I think it'll be a much better day tomorrow for sure."

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said the opportunity to go against different schemes and different players is what means the most. Prior to practice, he said he was excited to see his players compete.

The Vikings moved the practice up an hour to try to get less of the excessive heat. But that didn't help the Cardinals much.

"It's just really good prep work for us moving forward into the regular season," Gannon said.

Wide receiver Zach Pascal said he could tell the humidity was affecting players, which was difficult.

"We could definitely do a lot better," Pascal said.

'I'm not just a rookie anymore': Arizona Cardinals' Paris Johnson Jr. gaining confidence

Quick outs

• Cardinals players who did not take part in Wednesday's practice included LB Dennis Gardeck and CB Marco Wilson, who were watching from the sidelines and not in uniform. Both were injured in last Saturday's preseason game. Not present were OLs Hjalte Froholdt and D.J. Humphries, who remained in Arizona to tend to their newborn children. "Congrats to both of those guys. They'll be here as the week keeps progressing... I think they both had their babies on Monday. So they'll join us when they can but dad and husband duty is real, and we plan it accordingly."

• The practice featured Cardinals offense vs. Vikings defense on one field, and Cardinals defense vs. Vikings offense on an adjacent field. Cardinals rookie cornerback Kei'Trel Clark batted away a pass for Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson and launched into Jefferson's "Griddy" celebration dance, which didn't make the fans watching very happy.

• TE Zach Ertz took part in the early part of practice, then went to work out on his own on a side field.

• QB Colt McCoy took a good deal of snaps Wednesday, maybe as many as he's had in a single practice since the start of training camp. WR Greg Dortch caught a touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone from QB Clayton Tune.

• Cardinals owner and president Michael Bidwill attended practice and got a tour of the Vikings' five-year-old Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the team's facility that has its own small stadium and many more updated amenities.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How the Minnesota weather affected the Arizona Cardinals at practice