What to watch for on episode 2 of Detroit Lions ‘Hard Knocks’

The first episode of the Detroit Lions “Hard Knocks” was so good. It was like watching the penultimate episode of “Breaking Bad” or the swimming pool episode of “The Simpsons.” It was the tv event of the century and rave reviews came with it. How can HBO top that in episode two? That’s a question that I can’t answer and it’s a responsibility that I’m relieved is not on me.

What I can tell you is that these are the things we’re looking for in episode two:

Behind the scenes of preseason Week 1

It’s always fun to get wired for sound stuff, but I want more access. I want to be in room as the team prepares its game plan, decides who’s going to play and more. I want to see the halftime speech and most of all, I want to see the aftermath. On top of all that, seeing some highlights shot by NFL Films is a big-time bonus. Throw in some Dan Miller and it just keeps getting better.

Coaches responses to team play

Can we please see some Aaron Glenn getting on his defense clips? The Lions defense did not play too well last Friday against the Atlanta Falcons and I’m dying to see what Glenn was doing during the entire game and in the aftermath. Dan Campbell’s responses go without saying. It should be interesting to see his demeanor after this game.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

We already know that the “Hard Knocks” crew went to the St. Brown house to talk to the the whole family. This is a good week to put that out after St. Brown made some big plays against the Falcons. There’s a really fun and interesting family dynamic there that would be cool to see on screen.

Rookie songs

We got to see Aidan Hutchinson rock the world with his rendition of “Billie Jean” and we got to see Malcolm Rodriguez make my wife blush with his salsa dancing. What will we see next? I’m hoping that there’s a theme with this every week. What will Kerby Joseph do? What about James Houston? These are a lot of fun and you get to see the personalities of the team come out in these moments.

Ben Johnson

We got to know some of the coaches and coordinators last week, but Ben Johnson’s story was missing. There’s so much we don’t know about the Lions’ new offensive coordinator. It would be nice to get some background and insight into his process. It would also be nice to see him working with Jared Goff. The two seem to have really formed a bond.

Jared Goff

Speaking of Jared Goff, he’s a “Hard Knocks” veteran. Goff has been on the show multiple times and infamously had a moment in which he wasn’t sure which direction the sun rises from. Can we get some more clips of this guy, please? Goff has shown that he has a personality on podcasts over the summer, and the team has looked to him to be a leader. Let’s see both of those things come across on the show.

Comedy and speeches

We want more comedy! Episode one ended with a deez nuts joke. The humor this team and its coaches have is great. How many times did you say “one ass cheek and three toes” after the first episode? I said it hundred times that week. You may not always know what Dan Campbell is talking about, but you know you’re going to get a quotable moment out of it.

Music

The soundtrack on that first episode was so good. I can’t listen to Metallica's “No Leaf Clover” without getting goosebumps now. That shot of Dan Campbell walking down the hallway while Metallica frontman James Hetfield sings “it feels right this time” is just an amazing and memorable moment. The first episode also featured “The Safety Dance.” What can they add in episode two that could give that same goosebumps type moment?