'Hard Knocks,' Episode 1 with the Bills: What we saw and learned
This season's “Hard Knocks” featuring the Buffalo Bills premiered Tuesday night. Here's what we learned.
“Hard Knocks” is here, and the Buffalo Bills are in the spotlight.
The HBO show's new season premiered Tuesday night, the first of five episodes. The show started with none other than quarterback Josh Allen.
After the title music, it cut to left tackle Dion Dawkins at his home back in Buffalo, packing with his family, before cutting to tight end Dawson Knox doing the same with his wife.
HBO's "Hard Knocks" follows Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen during a training camp practice in Pittsford on Friday.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
“Two weeks in a carryon blows my mind,” Alexandra Knox says, as Dawson Knox packed more and more underwear.
As narrator Liev Schreiber explains to viewers that the Bills go away to training camp, he touches on the deeper meaning for the Bills.
“Going back to school means going back to basics,” Schreiber says.
The camera crew followed different players into their dorm rooms.
“Life of luxury, what more could you want?” Knox says.
Linebacker Joe Andreeseen brought a Yoda blanket. Wide receiver K.J. Hamler brought a pregnancy pillow Nickle cornerback Taron Johnson complains about the toilet paper – rightfully so.
A team meeting with coach Sean McDermott set the tone for the first day of camp.
“Creating the right mindset for practice is important,” McDermott tells the room.
Unexpectedly, there was a long Allen montage to start the first day of practice. Allen stayed after practice with wide receiver Joshua Palmer for extra reps, going over and over the same route until they found a connection they liked.
“That’s the one right there,” Allen says, as Palmer catches on in the corner of the end zone.
Palmer knows how important those reps are with a new quarterback.
“It shows that we really care,” Palmer said. “And all you really want on a team is guys that care.”
The crew does get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the coaches’ meetings, as well as their ensuing players meetings.
“Might as well call it a Joe Brady route,” Brady says, referring to a route when a player knows they’re not going to get the ball.
An off-day scene followed Dawkins to his home, before he took his kids out drifting.
“Drifting is definitely one of those hobbies that allows me to release from the game of ball,” Dawkins said. “It’s a thrill.”
Cutting back to camp, viewers got to hear Allen and the offensive line theories of gravity.
Next, the show introduced fan-favorite cornerback Tre’Davious White briefly, before cutting to a conversation between McDermott and co-owner Terry Pegula discussing the cornerback group as a whole.
When camp started, there was a battle for CB2 between White and rookie first-round pick Maxwell Hairston. The show dove into both players’ paths before getting deeper into White’s story.
White’s story, of course, included a visit to Pittsford Farms Dairy, the beloved local ice cream parlor, with fellow cornerback Christian Benford. White made his special Tre Day Sundae for other customers, serving them all around.
“Give me your honest opinion now,” White says, before telling the staff to “Add this to menu.”
Perhaps the highlight of the first episode was the scooter montage. As “Ridin’” by Chamillionaire played, player after player rode by on motor scooter, until wide receiver K.J. Hamler came by on a significantly smaller scooter.
“I got the little kid’s scooter, so I messed up with that,” Hamler says.
As the scooters get parked, the pads go on. Dawkins talked about the intensity of the day.
“That’s what we get paid to do,” Dawkins said. “Keep the (bleeping) MVP clean.”
As the pads went on, the show wove in Bills legend Thurman Thomas, who was at practice that day. A conversation between Beane and Thomas teed up Hairston’s injury.
The show captured Hairston on the ground and getting attention from athletic trainers before Benford and White came over to comfort him.
The scene was short, cutting to McDermott saying he was glad it wasn’t worse. The scene moved back to practice, which continued, before Thomas addressed the team.
“Make it a special season, because we’re closing Highmark Stadium and opening up a new stadium,” Thomas told the huddle as he broke it down.
Naturally, next was a scene about defensive end A.J. Epenesa catching an 11-foot snake, before cutting to the construction on the new stadium.
Pegula and Allen were on hand, with Pegula telling Allen he had just been to the site five times before the group got a tour of the future locker rooms. As the tour continued, Allen was very excited about the beer garden in the stands.
The show then moved across the street, to the current Highmark Stadium, for the Return of the Blue and Red practice. Of course, the producer mixed in “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, after a soundbite from wide receiver Khalil Shakir telling Stephen Gosnell to expect the song. The song played through until the episode ended, with Schreiber teasing the rest of camp.
