HBO released their second episode of “Hard Knocks” for the season featuring the New York Jets, and it did not disappoint.

The show, which was a constant hit in its early days, has become a little bit hit-or-miss the last few seasons depending on the coach and the storylines. The Jets season has set the ground running to be one of the best in recent years.

I tried something a little different while watching the first two episodes. I watched with a pen and paper and jotted down my thoughts as the episode progressed. I enjoyed it so I figure I’ll keep it going.

• Is there a worst time to a be a pro athlete than NFL training camp? Between the heat, the repetition, the pressure, and the equipment, I can’t imagine anything worse.

• Players are starting to both love and fear Aaron Rodgers. Randall Cobb giving the receivers a warning about not getting the ball after a bad practice means something. Rodgers can make their lives great if they do what they are supposed to. A fantastic thing for the Jets.

• Robert Saleh has great things to say and I truly believe he is a great leader of men, but much like the Eagle/Crow speech, it sounds too much like he is reading notes.

• Per the survivor/contender/competitor/commander speech, there are very few commanders in the NFL. I think we believe the best players on commanders but that isn’t always the case. I would guess most of the NFL is made up of contenders. I’m totally a survivor.

• Breece Hall rehab looks absolutely miserable. He finally left some doubt to him starting the season when he said “I want to play in the first week, but I’m going to keep doing what I got to do”. I imagine he will play very few snaps vs. the Bills.

• Nathaniel Hackett seems like the kind of coach that I would like to play for in a coordinator position. He will have fun with his guys and also get on them when needed.

• Woody Johnson finally inserted himself into an episode in the must goober way possible.

• “New Yorkers go to Florida to die” was a stretch of a line. Rare miss by Liev.

• I can’t wait to see what this defense looks like when Quinnen Williams finally plays meaningful snaps. He is a game wrecker.

• Guys are coming for Sauce Gardner already and he is only a sophomore. That’s how good he is. Receivers for other teams are testing themselves against him like he is the standard.

• Poor Quinnen Williams. As a fat guy myself, I get it. You spend all that time losing weight and you put all that effort and sacrifice into it and then someone with genetic gifts from God calls you “fat”. I get it, Q. Looking good.

• I thought Devin White was a smart player. How can he be so dumb as to make it sound like the only reason Aaron Rodgers has been any good in his career is Davante Adams? Don’t get me wrong, Adams is a special player, but Rodgers was elite long before Adams got there.

• How bad would Hard Knocks have been with Todd Bowles as coach?

• The show is finally trying to show us some borderline roster guys like Tanzel Smart. But it’s far too little too late. Side note: the irony of some with the word “smart” literally printed on his shirt talking about a “car-coochie board” is Primetime Emmy worthy.

• Jerome Kapp stole the rookie show, but in all honesty, it was a very weak competition. I expected more from a guy with a mullet like Joe Tippmann.

• Robert Saleh totally listens to motivational podcasts and NPR while running the stairs.

• It’s amazing what a montage can do. They made Zach Wilson look like a world beater throwing the ball against the Bucs. They made a game that was 13-6 look exciting. Neither are true.

• How does the Izzy injury not happen more often? Watching it, everyone thought it was his knee and we wouldn’t be seeing him again this year. Thankfully that is not the case.

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We are three episodes down and while I am enjoying the show, this doesn’t feel like the Hard Knocks I am used to seeing. They are barely showing any fringe roster players and my guess is because we already know they won’t show guys being cut.

I found it interesting that they showed nothing about the cancelled second practice between the Jets and Bucs. It was something I was interested in seeing develop and it was completely ignored. This season, while entertaining, is completely whitewashed.

There’s plenty to discuss when it comes Jets’ second episode of Hard Knocks

HBO released their second episode of “Hard Knocks” for the season featuring the New York Jets, and it did not disappoint. The show, which was a constant hit in its early days, has become a little bit hit-or-miss the last few seasons depending on the coach and the storylines. The Jets season has set the […]

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