Major Takeaways From Hard Knocks Episode Two
The second episode of HBO's Hard Knocks in-season series with the Arizona Cardinals is finally released, and fans will find that the mood was much lighter heading into this week.
Perhaps that's the hindsight afforded by already knowing the outcome after the team successfully went on the road and left SoFi Stadium with a road win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10.
The episode was just another in a long line of superb work, yet there were plenty of storylines that HBO did (and didn't) provide for fans and casual viewers alike.
Let's get into it:
Takeaways From Hard Knocks
No Ertz/Eno?
Perhaps two of the largest storylines fans were tuning in for weren't even mentioned in episode two: Zach Ertz's season-ending injury and the sudden release of Eno Benjamin.
Now, both of these will likely be touched on next week, as I'm sure the editing process allows for very little wiggle room from finishing filming on Sunday to having an episode ready on Wednesday evening.
However, those were two fairly large pieces of the puzzle to omit from coverage of Rams week. HBO has cameras everywhere, are we sure there's nothing that couldn't have been slipped in?
It's likely better to gather more information, and the Cardinals surely have some control over what's eventually in the episode.
We'll leave it to the professionals, but at least an acknowledgement for two major developments would have been solid.
Colt McCoy Commands Your Respect
The Cardinals seemed pretty confident Colt McCoy was going to play early in the build-up to LA. This wasn't McCoy's first rodeo filling in when the Cardinals needed him, and HBO's cameras picked up a few reasons why the team was confident in keeping him around.
His attention to detail in meetings and desire to get on the same page with everybody during practice shows exactly what kind of professional he is.
Even during the course of the game when the Rams drew within one possession, McCoy was cool, calm and confident around his peers and in the huddle, helping swing momentum back to Arizona.
The episode also concludes with McCoy breaking down the locker room huddle with a speech to the team.
McCoy is highly respected, and a few of those reasons were unveiled to the public.
The Fun, Relatable Life of Lecitus Smith
Rookie sixth-round pick Lecitus Smith was thrown into the starting lineup, and we've heard now a few times from Smith that he was not expecting to play this season.
The Cardinals were hit hard by the injury bug, and Smith was a beneficiary. He started his first game against the likes of Aaron Donald.
Smith performed quite well, but his personality really shined in his time being interviewed and mic'd up. He came across as candid and relatable, more specifically during one day at practice when he just couldn't quite get anything going.
"Everytime I turn around, I'm wrong!" Smith exclaimed. We've all been there.
Hard Knocks does a good job of portraying guys as more than just professional football players, and they again successfully did that with Smith.
Insight Into J.J. Watt's Personal Life
Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt does a fairly good job of keeping his personal and professional life separated.
However, the Hard Knocks crew was able to follow him and wife Kealia on a walk with his nice little family of two dogs and their newborn son, Koa.
Watt digs deep and touches on how fatherhood has already changed him, and the challenges that came with his scary episode that involved his heart being shocked.
Nothing crazy personal came from the conversations, but Watt is a revered athlete. Any insight into his off-field happenings is welcome, especially two life-changing events that happened in such a short time from each other.
Other Thoughts
- It was cool to see Aaron Donald get the massive respect he gets on all levels. The Cardinals (for very obvious reasons) made a very clear effort to game plan for him, and it was nice to hear coaches talk about him like fans and media do.
- Kelvin Beachum's love for popcorn (and an eventual tummy problem) eventually ran into each other, which prompted a meme in a positional meeting. Now we know what snacks to fill his locker with.
- Budda Baker's comeback one week from spraining his ankle is wild to watch unfold over the course of the show. How he did that. and hearing teammates/coaches talk about him, was something definitely to behold.
- The relationship between Cardinals WR coach Shawn Jefferson and his son Van was highlighted in the show since the Rams hosted Arizona. Most fans already know about that one, but some further depth was provided into the family.
- The offense holds a weekly dinner which was highlighted this episode, and there were a few interesting tidbits enjoyed over some food. Whether it by Rodney Hudson's appearance (despite not playing the last few weeks) or Kyler Murray's straightforwardness with Smith questioning himself, that was a fun scene to watch.
- The tension built throughout the week, seen before the game, at halftime and down the stretch on the sideline was well built, both by HBO and Arizona's natural need to win the game.
- Kliff Kingsbury might be more competitive than his monotoned press conferences give off. His profanity-laced tirades and chest-puffing after a big play was gold, and just might have fired me up enough to run through a wall.
See you next week, Hard Knocks.
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