Aaron Rodgers casts shadow on Jihad Giants wing in ‘Hard Knocks’
During the snap last Saturday before Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers capped his preseason cameo with a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson, Giants’ outside quarterback Jihad Ward “bear” poked.
Nor was Rodgers happy.
When Rodgers fell behind during the first quarter of that game and completed a pass to Mikul Hardman, Ward continued to lunge at the quarterback (and star of “Hard Knocks,” as the HBO series’ fourth episode filmed again on Tuesday night) and push him.
So Rodgers backed off. Ward asked, “What the hell?”
Rodgers then dropped a phrase that he later described as “unable to come back.”
“I’ve never heard of you before,” Rodgers said during the episode.
On the penultimate episode of “Hard Knocks,” which followed the Jets throughout training camp, Rodgers’ competitive side — a staple of 10 Pro Bowls and four MVPs — shined through.
That included the Jets’ training session and finale during their 32-24 preseason win over the Giants, which resulted in plenty of f-bombs, a bit of real anger, and a glimpse of a different side of the 39-year-old quarterback.
“I threw that ball and he took five steps and pushed me,” Rodgers said while standing on the Jets’ sideline after the touchdown, as seen during the episode.
“I don’t even know who you are,” I said. He said: I don’t know who you are.
And I said, “Bulls-r.”
The episode picked up on the lingering signs of the honeymoon phase that have defined the relationship between Rodgers and Gates since he first announced his intention to play with them.
A young fan was shown telling Rodgers that he should not retire so soon, and Rodgers responded by asking why he wanted to do so.
He joked with Jets future and longtime Packers teammate Randall Cobb after Cobb was penalized for an illegal blind ban against the Giants.
Rodgers helped the team’s first-round offense pass its first test against the Giants.
He passed the ball to Wilson for a touchdown, exchanged words with Ward again, and ran to the sideline to finish his Jets debut.
“This quarterback is very good, buddy,” head coach Robert Saleh said, apparently to someone on the other end of the headset, after touchdown.
But earlier that week, during an airplane drill, the offense was struggling.
Rodgers tried to connect with tight end Jeremy Ruckert but watched as D.J. Reed helped break up the pass and the ball fell to the ground.
Rodgers’ next five words included two f-bombs. He exclaimed that the play should have been “f-king basic 12-14 yards out.” Once he reached the sideline, his anger continued.
“The F-king dropped three f-king balls,” Rodgers said. “F–king three wrong ways and AF–king a wrong start.”
However, the next few minutes of the episode captured another Rodgers trait: his ability to spark a stagnant attack.
He summoned Wilson to “my office,” showing him which way to go.
When the offense returned to the field, Rodgers and Wilson connected with a pass across the middle, with Wilson wide open.
Allen Lazard also caught a deep TD throw.
“Show off,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett joked from the sideline, and everyone across the offense was satisfied.
Rodgers’ reform has worked again.
harsh reality
“Hard Knocks” chose to follow some of the Jets’ underdog stories throughout training camp, and that means tough endings for those who didn’t make the 53-man roster on Tuesday.
Jerome Kapp released – just a week after it went viral and Attracted Eminem’s attention – This week’s HBO episode has ended.
Tanzel Smith suffered a shoulder injury that impacted his wife in the stands, and he wasn’t even released for the show.
His motivational line to his fellow defensemen (how perfection can’t be achieved, but if the Jets chase him, they’ll find excellence along the way) and the scene where he cooked for his teammates.
Additional scenes about other plots could appear in the final episode next week as well.
A costly penalty for Kop
At that time, it didn’t have much effect. It was just a preliminary match.
This was the first flight of the planes at night as well.
But after Randall Cobb’s illegal penalty kick early in the Jets’ preseason game against the Giants, his wife Aida is now expecting another letter from the league with details of the fine.
Rodgers joked with Kop too, although the player told teammates he had “passed out” during the game and wouldn’t have needed to block someone like that in a long time.
Hackett Flowbee support
The topic of haircuts took over Gates’ meeting with Rodgers early in the episode, and he revealed that he has “only certain people who can touch my hair.”
Next, Hackett introduced everyone to the Flowbee concept, which looked like an old hair clipper.
He was thrilled, but the others in the room seemed to miss the signal and were confused.
“What?” Rodgers asked.
Then, the meeting room exploded in laughter, as a video explaining “micro haircuts” appeared on the screen.
Uncut wide reception bond
Undrafted Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee were engaged in an intense ping-pong battle, with walk-ups — and the constant threat of additional pressures — at stake for a pair of receivers that made the Jets’ 53-man roster out of training camp.
Brownlee attended Southern Miss. Gibson attended Stephen F. Austin.
And when Gibson won his ping-pong battle depicted in the movie “Hard Knocks,” Brownlee began his successes.
They even compared hand size.
“They had that kind of fun, keeping each other competitive,” wide receivers coach Zach Ezzani said.
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