The third episode of HBO's and NFL Films' "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys" premiered Wednesday night. Here are a few knee-jerk, but hopefully sensible thoughts about the third installment, which covered the period after the Cowboys' first preseason game against San Diego up through the second one at Denver.
The post-San Diego game preseason meetings, where the coaches evaluated every player on the roster, really didn't reveal anything that anyone who saw the game didn't know already - quarterback Tony Romo, running back Felix Jones and linebacker Zach Thomas impressed, and cornerback Adam Jones showed his rust.
Rookie tight end Martellus Bennett, often criticized for his perceived attitude, also had a rough night, although the criticism of him didn't come from any offensive coach, but instead Bruce Read, the special teams coordinator, who said the former Aggie wasn't running as fast as he could. All of the Cowboys special teams units struggled in that game, so it's not as if Bennett was the only one.
It's amazing it took "Hard Knocks" until the third episode to go into any depth on Romo. Several players talked about how Romo is still a small town guy at heart, and they also mentioned, and this can be discerned via many a YouTube video, that he is a notoriously bad singer.
And just for those on Jessica Simpson watch, there was no mention of her at all being a part of his life. Tabloid readers may frown at that news, but sports fans worldwide can let loose a sigh of relief.
The whole Packers-Brett Favre drama even permeated "Hard Knocks," with Cowboys PR director Rich Dalrymple receiving a text message from Cowboys Hall-of-Fame quarterback Troy Aikman jokingly asking for his multi-millions to stay retired. The whole Favre situation has since been resolved (knock on wood), but before he was traded to the Jets, the Packers offered Favre a "marketing" position worth $20 million, pretty much to ensure he stayed retired.
If you look closely during the brief segment the show dedicated to the media attention the team gets, you'll see the back of DallasCowboys.com writer Nick Eatman's head talking to rookie receiver Danny Amendola, and then later joking with wide receiver Terrell Owens.
What they didn't show in that clip with Owens (talking about how he doesn't like the media all that much . . . to the media) was that a certain media intern suggested to Owens that he get some "iWrite" shirts to go with the ones he's been distributing to the team, as seen in Episode One. That's when Owens said he doesn't really like the media that much, but Nick, who is one of the wittiest guys around, suggested "iLie" shirts instead. Don't be surprised to actually see those.
T.O. seems to really be embracing the role of mentor with the younger receivers. He took Sam Hurd, currently third on the depth chart, under his wing when Hurd joined the team in 2006, and now he seems to have taking a shining to self-billed 80th man Todd Lowber. Amendola called him the "godfather of the receiving corps."
"Hard Knocks" seemed to make secondary coach Dave Campo out to be a father figure for Adam Jones. That might be a bit of a stretch (especially since former Cowboy Deion Sanders has already adopted that role), but their relationship seems to be pretty close. Campo doesn't sugarcoat his criticism of Jones, to his face or to other coaches, but he seems to believe in him. What is beyond belief is that Jones will ever successfully teach Campo how to dance.
This show seems to love foreshadowing, so it seems like they let what happens at the end of the week dictate what they use from earlier to play up to it. The first case of that happening is when "Hard Knocks" highlights the neck-and-neck battle for the third receiver spot between Hurd and Miles Austin. Hurd is shown working out like a man possessed, and his work ethic and consistency is probably his best asset. Austin is shown making acrobatic catches, but consistency has always been his fatal flaw. He was just getting that down when . . . well, let's not spoil it for those who haven't seen the episode/have been living under a rock.
With five days until the Denver game, players are getting tired. Head coach Wade Phillips tells the team training camp is supposed to knock them down to see how they respond, but it's questionable whether working out in shorts and shells for the next few days will accomplish that. Granted, the travel has been intense of late, with a long train ride into San Diego, then a late-night bus ride back to Oxnard the following night after the game, and Phillips doesn't want to overwork the team before the regular season.
Viewers worldwide could have gone their whole lives without seeing Campo in the hot tub, and apparently so could Phillips, who stopped by to say hello, but promptly left when invited to get in.
There is absolutely no reason for the clip of T.O. talking to young nose tackle Remi Ayodele about the female physique to be in the show. Not only is it crude, but it also has nothing to do with training camp.
The offense struggled initially upon arriving in Denver for three days of practices before the game, and Romo knew it, telling himself he sucks over and over under his breath. That's the kind of stuff you can't get anywhere else, because without NFL Films miking him up, no one would have ever heard it.
Romo did get back on track and performed better as the week went on. It's a good sign when no one is harder on your starting quarterback than himself.
Part of what Romo attributed to his poor performance was the thin air in Denver. The air's affect on his deep ball is unknown, but the altitude really seemed to mess with the players. Even God's gift to muscle, Terrell Owens, was caught telling his lungs to re-inflate for him.
Campo, on the other hand, thinks the whole altitude excuse is baloney, saying it's all mental.
It's unknown whether linebacker DeMarcus Ware would be more or less effective (assuming more effective is even possible) against offensive linemen if he made those faces he was making to his daughter via video chat. Either left tackles would laugh, or think he's a raving lunatic.
In all seriousness, Ware is one of the nicest, most gentlemanly guys in the entire league, along with tight end Jason Witten. He does have a little mischief to him though, telling a woman in a Denver restaurant that he and the other players eating there were a soccer team.
Cowboys' veterans may be able to convince Bennett to buy them all dinner, but tight ends coach John Garrett has a hard time getting him to tuck in his shirt at practice.
Defensive coordinator Brian Stewart seems to be bad cop to Phillips' good cop. Phillips is known as a players coach, not to say Stewart doesn't have a relationship with the players, but Stewart teed off on his defensive unit for mental mistakes in a meeting. Hard to imagine Phillips doing that, although it's probably good to have contrasting styles.
Even though safety and notorious de-cleater Roy Williams was cautioned to go light on Denver's players, the Broncos apparently didn't get the same message, laying hard hits on several Cowboys during practice. As a result, tempers flared, culminating in the scuffle with Cowboys tackle Flozell Adams and a Broncos defensive lineman, where Adams rips the helmet off the other player and swings it at him. Another example of great "Hard Knocks" footage that no one else got.
Yet another "Hard Knocks" exclusive - Adam Jones mailing his letter requesting reinstatement from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Does seem a bit staged, though. It's unlikely a camera crew was just chilling in Jones' room when he suddenly whips out the letter and recites it.
Finally, the Denver game. Nose tackle Tank Johnson seems very aware that "Hard Knocks" has him wired. He's screaming words of encouragement on the sideline, but either he's talking to himself, or no one cares, because other players don't seem to be paying attention.
The game, as most know, started off poorly. But what most didn't know was how perturbed Campo was with the performance of rookie cornerback Mike Jenkins, saying (while wired), "Mike Jenkins has lost his mind. Can't hear, doesn't know what the coverage is . . ."
Linebacker Greg Ellis really knows how to give a pep talk.
Austin's injury, shown right after his two stellar catches, seems so much more dramatic now than at the time when you know how long he'll be out and how bad it is (4-6 weeks, MCL sprain).
Maybe its not that Bennett doesn't respond to criticism well, but he's just a low-key personality. Even after performing well against Denver and taking a congratulatory phone call from John Garrett in the press box, he still looked like he was being chewed out.
Now the culmination of the foreshadowing with Lowber and rookie running back Keon Lattimore. Lattimore was again made to look like he was lost, and Lowber talked about just needing one play to show what he can do. After not playing against San Diego, both made the most of their opportunities with the third-string offense, Lowber hauling in a deep pass from quarterback Richard Bartel and Lattimore nearly breaking a run up the middle for a touchdown.
After the game, it's back to Valley Ranch in Irving, where the homecoming is soured by losing Austin for up to six weeks. Still, there are worse things than losing your fourth receiver through Week 3. Just talk to the Seattle Seahawks, who lost their top receiving option, Bobby Engram, until at least midseason.
That's it for Episode Three. Be sure to tune in next time for the annual Greg Ellis panic attack about his job security, or so it seemed "Hard Knocks" was setting up.
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