The third episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” gave a deeper look at some depth pieces on the Buffalo Bills before diving into the team’s trip and defeat in Chicago.
This week’s episode started with Bills head coach Sean McDermott leading a team meeting. He goes through how every phase of the team needs to be ready to attack.
“How hungry am I that I want to attack?” McDermott says to the group.
Buffalo Bills vs New York Giants
Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver takes the field before playing against the Giants on Aug. 9 at Highmark Stadium. Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News
Success is not a given in the NFL, he tells his players. Just because the Bills were good last year, doesn’t mean anything is guaranteed for this season.
“It does not happen in the NFL that way, and some of you guys need to understand that and wake up,” McDermott says. “That’s the truth.”
Plus, the team was coming off a preseason loss to the New York Giants.
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“No one in Buffalo is happy,” narrator Liev Schreiber says. “Not just because they lost, but because they didn’t play up to their potential.”
The NFL Films crew shows some behind-the-scenes moments from the offensive and defensive coaches meetings, cutting between coordinators Joe Brady and Bobby Babich going over film with their respective coaching staffs.
Next is running back James Cook, not only ending his hold-in, but officially getting a four-year extension from the Bills. General manager Brandon Beane is happy to share the news, and calls Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller, on speaker phone.
“It’s all in the rearview now,” Hiller tells Beane over the phone.
Then, Cook comes in for a quick conversation between the general manager and his star running back.
“As you said on text, 'Let’s go win it,' ” Beane says to Cook.
The pair then go to have Cook actually sign the contract, which he does with his sunglasses on, before dapping up Beane and McDermott.
And now that that’s done?
“I can kick my feet up and just play football,” Cook says in an interview.
Cook takes the practice field in a dramatic shot, as news of his deal spreads throughout the team.
“Did he even smile when he signed his contract?” Brady asks Beane.
The Cook practice montage that follows shows him running all over the field at Orchard Park as teammates chirp him.
There’s a quick interlude where quarterback Mike White says all rookies are dumb, and that his wife knows everything. Then, naturally, there’s a quick scene about mustaches.
From there, the show goes into the two-minute drill. It is a focus on the offense for a second before there is an important shift to a particular defensive lineman.
“The Bills' offense has plenty of giddy-up,” Schreiber says, “but it’s the defense that has the horsemen.”
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver is teaching running back Ty Johnson about horses, including shoveling poop.
“Earned my stripes right there, man,” Johnson says.
Oliver has been riding horses since he was eight or so.
“I knew if I wasn’t doing well in school, I wouldn’t get to ride no horses,” Oliver says before listing off more than a dozen of his horses’ names.
Oliver and Johnson ride off into the field, with Johnson saying his body – his butt, in particular – felt like a bobblehead.
Back to the facility, the show dives into linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo, who the team picked up through training camp. Ciarlo says “less than a week ago,” he thought his football career was over.
“Pretty surreal,” Ciarlo says, just before McDermott shows a clip of Ciarlo in front of the whole team.
“I don’t care what your name is, where you were drafted … you earn the right to play on this team,” McDermott says.
The show continues with Ciarlo, who hasn’t played in a year after tearing his ACL last season.
Next is cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram, who is talking to himself to pump himself up.
“The 27-year old needs the edge,” Schreiber says.
Ingram explains his visualization process, which he brings to the field. Between Ingram reps is a quick rant from Babich, who was not pleased during practice. An interception by linebacker Joe Andreessen gets Babich back in a better mood.
The show moves off the field, following center Connor McGovern to his house, where he is a preparing a pizza party for the team. The pizza parties started for the offensive line, as documented by The Buffalo News, but have since expanded.
“Plays guard and center, makes pizza and cookies – many talents,” offensive line coach Aaron Kromer says.
Then, the fire alarm briefly goes off. McGovern waves a towel to stop it, and then it’s time to head to Chicago.
The Bills held a joint practice on Friday with the Bears, which McDermott says is a chance for the team to get “more crusty.”
There’s a nice moment between McDermott and Bears coach Ben Johnson, as the two reminisce on when they went up against each other in a joint practice years ago between the Panthers and the Dolphins.
There’s mutual respect between the two teams.
“Whatever questions you got, ask bro,” left tackle Dion Dawkins tells Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker.
A few moments later, Dawkins and tight end Dalton Kincaid watch a bird fly in the sky, and Kincaid says he wishes he was one.
The show cuts back to Ingram, this time making a play on special teams, as Oliver gets excited for him. Shortly after, a fight breaks out, and Oliver is excited again.
There’s a long practice montage, before the show cuts to cornerback Tre’Davious White squeezing the sweat out of his socks.
The Bills had some extracurricular fun in Chicago, working with an improv artist, who challenged players and coaches in front of the team to participate in different skits. Players have to sit when the improv artist catches them off guard.
Josh Allen and kicker Caden Davis are the two finalists, and Davis wins it all. There’s a lesson to it, of course.
“You can use that same energy for things you truly care about,” the improv artist says. “… You don’t have to like each other, you just have to love each other.”
It’s a lesson to carry into the game, which is teed up next. Allen and the starters did not play much, so it was a chance for the backups to show more of their stuff.
You likely already know that the Bills lost 38-0 – it was not pretty. The show follows some of the rockier moments for the Bills on both sides of the ball.
“It’s been all Bears,” the game broadcast declares as Chicago goes up by three scores.
Ciarlo is featured on special teams, and running back Frank Gore Jr. “gets a revival going,” Schreiber says. But Gore fumbles, and the Bills get shut out.
“They beat the (expletive) out of us,” Dawkins says on the sideline.
The show dedicates a good bit of time to the blowout, as everything goes the Bears’ way.
Bills coach Sean McDermott expressed disappointment in his player's performance Sunday night.
“Sean McDermott isn’t going to let a bad night derail what could be a great team,” Schreiber says.
“A lot of work this week to get done as we move forward,” McDermott said in his postgame.
The show cuts to a shot of spider, as Schreiber talks about how rosters are a delicate web of decisions.
“That means cuts – hard choices – are coming,” Schreiber says, as the show cuts to black.
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