Nevaeh Brown
HBO chronicles underdogs team the New York Jets for this upcoming season of acclaimed docu-series “Hard Knocks.”
This series gives much more than the Jets’ social media team could give their fans, getting a front-row seat to camaraderie built between veterans and rookies and even tension. Seeing fights between their offense and defense on social media is entirely rivaled by HBO’s cameras and mics.
The team tried to run from the selection, but they had one of the biggest stories out of any other team: Aaron Rodgers was finally their quarterback. Once HBO’s presence is embraced, the beauty of crafting a roster is captured.
The excitement of Rodgers’ arrival brought on constant attempts of his approval on players’ performances on both sides of the ball. The bottom line is that he’s new; he’s learning Jets football, not vice versa, because it’s a team.
On the flip side, Rodgers’ presence created a tutor for second year quarterback Zach Wilson, giving him space to improve from the first two subpar years he had under center.
This team is home to last season’s offensive and defensive rookies of the year, receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner, and many comparable off-season acquisitions in all positions.
Not only are they followed around on the field, but viewers also get to see and hear about players’ personal lives. Like Gardner, who was preparing for his graduation ceremony, being awarded his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Cincinnati this past summer. Seeing existing friendships taken to the pro level and relationships formed via the coaching staff creates wins.
Injuries were sustained during the preseason. It’s a dogfight to make any of these teams, but that’s what’s coming from this series: the good, bad and ugly of preseason.
Plenty of rookies made an impression in their preseason game against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Defensive end William McDonald IV earned his first sack, Tight End Zach Kuntz earned a touchdown, and veterans called it ‘the rookie show.’
But the ugly part of this business is that all acquisitions cannot be kept by the first week or so of the regular season. The roster has to be cut down to 53 men. This is the time they have to prove themselves.
The preseason was otherworldly for this Jets squad, and it is forever enshrined through this series. On Sept. 11, their season opened, only four plays into the regular season. Rodgers after being sacked, was injured with a season-ending achilles tear putting Zach Wilson back at his position of starting quarterback.
However, there was a glass ceiling on both the team’s past, the show’s reputation. Even with their superstar quarterback gone, the docu-series shows how the Jets under Zach Wilson are beating the odds and cracking that ceiling.