JACKSONVILLE – The gates were closed, and the intensity rose.
The Jaguars on Sunday moved into their second full week of 2018 Training Camp, closing practices to the public after eight open days of work at the Dream Finders Homes Practice Field.
It was a day on which Head Coach Doug Marrone put the team through perhaps its toughest day of practice in perhaps the toughest conditions of camp.
"It was a tough one, but you expect that in training camp," free-agent All-Pro guard Andrew Norwell said. "You train and get prepared to win games. Today was a good practice and a step moving forward."
The Jaguars worked for about two hours and 40 minutes in full pads late Sunday morning and early afternoon in 90-degree temperatures, a day that felt hotter than any of the first eight practices of this year's camp. Marrone early in the day had hinted at a potentially difficult practice.
"We talked about it as a staff last night, that in my opinion we really hadn't practiced as well coming off a day off," Marrone said. "That's one of our goals today, to try to have a better practice and try to set that mode. … For our team, we have to do a better job of that."
Marrone twice late in practice called the team together for specific instruction, and practice lasted a few minutes longer than most Jaguars training camp practice.
The Jaguars finished practice as usual by running sprints following extensive 11-on-11 work for the last few periods of practice.
The Jaguars were off Saturday following five consecutive practices in pads last week. Sunday was the seventh consecutive practice in pads.
Here's a look at Day 9 practice:
STANDING OUT
*Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins had one of the days bigger plays late in the long day, catching a 20-yard pass over the middle from quarterback Blake Bortles and turning it into a long gain. …
*Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue broke through for what appeared would have been a pair of sacks late in practice. …
*Running back T.J. Yeldon continued a productive camp, running for a 15-yard gain early in camp. …
*Rookie wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr. continued his recent strong play, getting open for passes of 17, 12 and 12 yards from backup quarterback Cody Kessler. …
*Tight end James O'Shaughnessy made one of the day's highlight plays, catching a high pass from Kessler for a touchdown early in practice. …
*Quarterback Tanner Lee found wide receiver Dorren Miller for a long gain in 11-on-11 work early in practice. Lee also hit wide receiver Montay Crockett (16) for a 35-yard gain later in practice. …
*Running back Tim Cook continued a solid camp, running hard through the middle for an eight-yard gain midway through practice. …
PLAY OF THE DAY
This came from Bortles midway through practice, throwing a perfect out in the right side of the end zone to wide receiver Marqise Lee. On the play, Lee got behind veteran cornerback Tyler Patmon and caught the ball with his arms outstretched and in stride for a 20-yard touchdown in 11-on-11 work. Bortles followed that with another accurate touch throw several plays later, but it skimmed off second-year wide receiver Keelan Cole's fingertips.
INJURY WATCH
Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. (shoulder) remained on the Physically Unable to Perform list. The fourth-year veteran has been on PUP since the beginning of training camp.
Also Sunday, veteran defensive end Calais Campbell returned to practice after missing Thursday and Friday. Four players were ruled out of practice before Sunday's work: nose tackle Eli Ankou, linebacker Brooks Ellis, wide receiver DeAndre Smelter and offensive lineman Brandon Smith.
NOTABLE
*The first-team offensive line continued on Sunday to be left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Andrew Norwell, center Brandon Linder, right guard A.J. Cann and Parnell. That has been the lineup throughout most of camp. …
