On Oct. 22, two days before their game against Washington, the Vikings turned their only full practice of the week into a walk-through. Players jogged through drills in jerseys and shorts, taking precious time to rest only two days after a victory at Detroit.
After beating the Redskins 19-9, players were free to head home for a long weekend, with an extra day off for the third consecutive game. When the Vikings returned to pads Wednesday, they had all 53 players on the field, with only Adam Thielen a limited participant.
Whatever their 6-2 record owes to charmed health, the Vikings have tried to preserve it, with an emphasis on rest and recovery that even their old-school coach admits is "against my nature a little bit.