Sunday's hot and humid fully padded practice resembled a scrimmage with six team periods, including a live tackling session involving the third-team units. The coaches utilized the opportunity to treat it like a gameday experience with a "coaches booth" on the balcony of the NovaCare Complex for those who go up top. The coaches in the "booth" talked with the coaches on the sideline through headsets, just like in an actual game.

Injury Report

Did Not Practice: DT Gabe Hall (hamstring), OL Matt Hennessy (back), TE E.J. Jenkins (knee), T Lane Johnson (veteran rest day), WR Joseph Ngata (ankle), DT Moro Ojomo (hip), TE Albert Okwuegbunam (abdomen), WR John Ross (concussion), G Tyler Steen (ankle)< S Caden Sterns (knee), WR Johnny Wilson (concussion)

Limited: LB Oren Burks (knee), TE Grant Calcaterra (shoulder), DB Cooper DeJean (hamstring), S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (shoulder)

Highlights

• Jalen Carter knifed into the backfield to stop Saquon Barkley dead in his tracks before he could get a head of steam.
• Josh Sweat wreaked havoc, creating pressure on multiple occasions and likely getting home for a "sack" if he were able to finish.
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr., on back-to-back plays, knocked the ball out of the pass catcher's hands and batted the ball to the ground. Trotter also had tight coverage on a completion to DeVonta Smith.
• Jalyx Hunt didn't get fooled by a fake handoff and forced Jalen Hurts into an incompletion.
• In the team backed-up period, Kenny Pickett found a security blanket in wide receiver Jacob Harris, who caught two balls in traffic and skied up high to grab another.
• Brandon Smith nearly came up with an interception over the middle during the live tackling period.
• Darius Slay came up with a pass breakup in the end zone during the team red zone period. Slay came up big again in the final team period with tight coverage in similar fashion.
• Parry Nickerson with the defensive play of the day, picking off the pass and running down the left sideline for a pick-six.
• Jalen Hurts' best throw of the day came in the final team period, simulating an end-of-game comeback situation. Hurts threaded the ball perfectly between two defenders down the left sideline to put the offense in scoring range.
• Kenny Pickett's best throw also came in this final period as he rolled to his left and threw across his body to Ainias Smith, who came back to the ball to make the catch downfield.
• The defense stood tall as neither the first-team nor the second-team offenses were able to score in the end-of-game simulation to conclude practice. – Chris McPherson

Saquon Barkley's thirst for greatness

Saquon Barkley said that rookie running back Will Shipley asked him the other day what continues to motivate him, drive him after the success that he's enjoyed in his first six NFL seasons.

The answer?

"I just want to be great, man. I just want to take it to the highest level that I can take it. That's my goal," Barkley said. "That's where I want to be. That's where I want to go, and I'm not going to stop. I'm going to keep trying. The reality of it is, a lot of people don't get to reach their full potential. But at the end of the day, if I know I could put my all into it and I don't reach it when it's all said and done, I'll be happy with the work I put in."

Barkley has been a featured part of the offense both as a runner and a receiver in Training Camp, but there is a triple-threat element to his game. Linebacker Devin White complimented Barkley, calling him the best back in terms of blitz pickup on the team. It's an aspect of Barkley's toolkit that he's worked on over the years.

"We work it a lot here, so you kind of got no choice, which is what I needed though," Barkley said. "I felt like early in my career, I struggled with pass pro. The last few years, I felt like that was something I was able to improve on. Coach Jemal (Singleton) does a really good job with all the backs of teaching us the right fundamentals and putting our body in the right position so we can execute the block." – Chris McPherson

Vic Fangio praises the linebacking corps

Vic Fangio met with the media ahead of Sunday morning's practice. It was the first time the defensive coordinator spoke with the media since the team's preseason win against New England on Thursday night.

Fangio on what he learned about the defense from the joint practice with the Patriots: "It was a great learning experience for us. First off, we had a good practice with a good amount of reps which is rare for us. We were able to get a lot of guys a lot of work, both in individual periods, some pass rush drills, some team drills, so it was a tremendous day of work.

"Our guys got better from it. Only way you get better at playing football is to practice football and play in a game. We got a good day of that. We were able to see new plays, new routes, go against different types of blockers, the way offensive linemen set, the way they protect. Those days are invaluable."

The defense has ramped up its pressure over the last few practices, blitzing more and creating pressure on the quarterbacks, with players like Devin White, Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. being in the thick of the action.

Fangio on the linebackers that have been used to blitz: "I think some of them have good blitz abilities. It's always hard to tell until you get in real games, because in practice we're supposed to back off as we get close to the quarterback, so you don't finish and finishing is the big thing in pass rush. That's why we fight for a lot of pass rush drills because it's the one time we can finish and not worry about getting too close to the quarterback. So, yeah, but I do think we have some guys that can do it."

Trotter Jr. has been all over the field in the preseason games and practice as of late showcasing his dynamic skill set. On Sunday, he got pressure on the quarterback outside of the pocket forcing a throw away, and another play he was in the middle of the field ready to stop the running back on a checkdown. Trotter Jr. also had a tough breakup while in coverage in the end zone to stop a touchdown.

Trotter Jr. on where he is at now within the defense: "I think Coach Vic (Fangio) and our Linebacker Coach Bobby King, they've all been helping me a lot as far as continuing to improve in both coverage and other areas of my game. For me, I want to be a well-rounded linebacker so coverage is one of my focus points that I want to get better at and whether it's block destruction, blitzing, all parts of my game I want to try and get better at and really critique and get down to the nitty-gritty of it."

Along with Trotter, fellow rookie Quinyon Mitchell has impressed Fangio in what he's been able to do thus far.

"He's (Quinyon Mitchell) been great since the day we got him. He works really hard. He's focused in meetings, not just on the practice field. We have put a lot on his plate, like I've said. He hasn't backed down from it at all. He's going to be a good player in this league." Fangio said.

Passing Game Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach Christian Parker had the same sentiment as Fangio, describing the flexibility of Mitchell in learning the new positions.

"The main part is just the mental and just the feeling there, you're kind of playing three positions at once, you're a linebacker, safety, corner kind of all mixed, so the main thing is communication and job description and he's handling it well.

"We kind of noticed (in the spring) that he could handle a lot in a short span of time, and we decided this (playing nickel) is something we wanted to explore," Parker said.

For Mitchell, going back and forth between nickel and corner doesn't bother him, as he is willing to do whatever the team needs to get out there on the field.

Mitchell on playing both the corner and nickel spots: "I feel like it's been a good process, just learning every position, just knowing where my help's at and stuff like that, so I feel really good about it and I feel like I've been doing a good job.

"The nickel, you've got more of a role, more stuff you have to do. You have to communicate more, so that's the difference."

Mitchell on how far he's come since the start of camp: "I feel like I've grown every day, just asking questions and just getting acclimated to the speed and stuff like that, so I feel really good." – Liam Wichser

Building trust

CB Kelee Ringo on what stands out about Fangio: "Definitely more old-school guy demeanor, and I respect it, he definitely has a scheme that he wants to stick true to. Everybody as a defense is continuing to trust him, and I feel like we could definitely be good with that type of mentality." – Liam Wichser

Dallas Goedert says Sunday's practice provided a barometer

Tight end Dallas Goedert was pleased with the communication part of the offense's operation as Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore relayed the plays to quarterback Jalen Hurts. Goedert said the process was so smooth that it almost looked like it was scripted ahead of time.

Sunday's practice was critical not only because of the playcall procedures, but also because it tested each player's stamina both physically and mentally.

"When you start working these long play drives, it really kind of helps you figure out where you are. How much more conditioning you need if you're really ready to play the full game," Goedert said. "When you get tired when it's hot like it was today and you get in the ninth, 10th, 11th plays (of a drive) when you're tired, it's hard to focus. Making sure you can just focus and making sure you can focus on the details that matter on each and every play because when you get tired, those things seem to slip." – Chris McPherson