Helter Skelter » A year ago, the Los Angeles Rams joined the Baltimore

OWINGS MILLS Johnathan Abram Jersey , Md. (AP) —Ravens for a couple of training camp practices before opening the preseason with a game in Baltimore.From there, the Rams went on a journey that took them to the Super Bowl.The Jacksonville Jaguars can only hope to follow a similar path.“That’s not why we’re here, but if it happens we’ll take it,” Jacksonville coach Doug Marrone said Monday before the Jaguars and Ravens held the first of two daily joint practice sessions.The main reason the Jaguars arrived in Maryland well in advance of Thursday’s preseason opener was to get some quality work against outside competition.“You get a greater evaluation of your team,” Marrone said. “Our focus isn’t the players for the Ravens; we’re trying to figure out who’s going to be on our team. We think this is a great opportunity to do this. It also helps with the quarterback. You’re getting him a lot of good reps in a controlled environment, where you don’t have to worry about him getting hit.”Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Nick Foles looked sharp during the 2½-hour practice while competing against a Baltimore defense that last year was ranked No. 1 in the NFL.“It’s always exciting to go up against another team, especially one as talented as Baltimore,” Foles said. “I thought both sides handled it really well. Offensively we were efficient. We got to work a lot of different situations against them, which was awesome.”The Jaguars reached the AFC Championship game two years ago before fading badly last season. With Foles calling the shots, expectations are high again in Jacksonville.“It gives us more confidence, but you can’t expect good things to happen if you don’t put the work in,” defensive end Calais Campbell said.A joint practice enables the teams to go hard at each other with less chance of injury as in a preseason game. Rarely did a play end with the runner on the ground, and all the quarterbacks went virtually untouched.“The plays are different. The tempo’s different. Everything’s different,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.After burning Ravens defensive backs over the past couple of weeks, Lamar Jackson went up Jacksonville’s defense for much of the afternoon. He won’t see nearly as much action on Thursday night.Jacksonville’s James Onwualu had to be carted off the field after being injured on a kickoff drill http://www.raidersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-trayvon-mullen-jersey , but that appeared to be the only casualty of a practice that was without a scuffle. There are times when the combination of heat, helmets and competition results in fighting, but not this time.“We met with the leaders of both teams and we talked about it,” Marrone said. “There’s no need for that in our game.”No, this was just a chance for the Ravens and Jaguars to go up against guys wearing a different color uniform.“Them as much as us, you get tired of going up against your own guys,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said. “It’s good to see where you’re at, going against another team.”All of the benefit of a preseason game, without much of the risk.“I think this is actually better because you’re getting good work, but you’re taking a step back,” Humphrey said. “You basically get to play in the game but take a step back instead of hit the guy.”Pads were popping, but at the end of the play it was nothing more than touch football.“It wasn’t a physical practice. It was tag-off, which is good and fine,” Harbaugh said. “It was a good, fast practice. We’re going to look at the details — the footwork, the angles, the hand placement Maxx Crosby Jersey , the assignments, the eyes, the communication — all those things when you’re going against another team that you’re not used to.” GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers find themselves in unfamiliar territory, with no playoff berth to chase but quarterback Aaron Rodgers healthy enough to play in the final two games of a going-nowhere season.If interim head coach Joe Philbin has anything to say about it, anyone who is healthy enough to play – including Rodgers – will play next weekend against the New York Jets despite the circumstances.Rodgers has played all season with a left knee injury sustained in the season opener in September. He said he also injured his groin during the Packers’ 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, though the quarterback quickly added he wants to play in the final two games, regardless of the risk.It’s in line with the message Philbin delivered to the team Monday afternoon.“In the general sense, my philosophy is football players are paid to play football games, and football coaches are paid to coach football games,” Philbin said. “Obviously, we have to go through the week and we would never put any player out there that wasn’t physically ready to go. But that’s my general philosophy and overall philosophy – whether it’s Aaron Rodgers or anybody else.“We’re the Green Bay Packers, we’re a football team and we’re in the business of winning football games, and we want all our players who are healthy to contribute to the overall success of the team. Period,” Philbin added.The loss to Chicago clinched a second straight losing season for Green Bay (5-8-1). Asked if he expected the team to use the final two games to take a look at young quarterback DeShone Kizer, Rodgers said that he “for sure” wants to play.Rodgers recalled thinking he might get to play late in the 2005 season, when he was a rookie first-round pick backing up Brett Favre and the Packers were 3-11 with two games to go.“I remember ‘Favrey’ came in late in the season and said Hakeem Butler Jersey , ‘Well, you’re probably going to get a chance to play here,'” Rodgers recounted. “Didn’t happen.”Rodgers enters the final two games having thrown for 3,974 yards, but with the second-lowest completion percentage in his 11 years as Packers starter (61.7 percent). With just 23 touchdown passes, Rodgers is on pace for the fewest he’s had in a season in which he was healthy enough to play all year.“Nobody’s talked to me about (not playing). I want to play, though, so I’m expecting to start and play,” Rodgers said. “I’d like to be out there and lead us the last two weeks.”NOTES: Philbin did not have an update on RB Aaron Jones, who left Sunday’s loss with a knee injury. “We’re going to have to see what his status will be,” Philbin said. “Hopefully he’ll be ready to play.” The Packers had only one other true halfback on the roster against the Bears, Jamaal Williams, who carried 12 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. . The team claimed RB Kapri Bibbs off waivers from the Redskins. Bibbs carried 20 times for 101 yards and three touchdowns for Washington this season and also caught 13 passes for 102 yards and a score. . Rookie reserve OL Alex Light was suspended one game for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the league announced Monday. Light, who has played only three snaps on offense this season, is eligible to return to the active roster on Dec. 24.