Detroit Lions ‘Hard Knocks’ episode 4 recap: What Just Happened?

It’s just so sad that the Detroit Lions only have one more week on “Hard Knocks.” This show needs to just always be on like “The Simpsons.” Episode four was another very entertaining episode, with some heartwarming moments and some sad moments when you realize that you know the fate of the 53-man roster before the people you are watching do.

As always, I have thoughts on this episode. These are those thoughts:

The cuts discussions

It’s was amazing to be in the room with coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes while they discuss their upcoming cuts. It’s a room Lions fans have never been in before. Then to go into the room with all the coaches and learn how the coaches rank players and how the team aggregates that info. Campbell had three “what the fucks?”
and four “bullshits” in the first round. I just want to be in this room all day long and hear these guys talk about this process. Luckily, the “Hard Knocks” crew kept taking us back into that room.

“Who needs fucking coaches? Sorry for swearing”

First off, that’s awesome that the hotel staff raved about how great the Lions players were. Then the looks on everyone's faces when Campbell said the players are running the practice. What a moment.

The players set everything up, then figured out who was calling plays. After that, the players just ran it and coached one another. We even got to see a beautiful Jared Goff pass and then finally got hear Goff talk.

Jared Goff

Finally! We finally got to see Jared Goff in the spotlight on this show and it did not disappoint. You could see that the coaching staff really has confidence in Goff. Then we got to see Goff’s clothing line meeting and even meet Goff’s fiancé Christen Harper. I could have used a few more minutes of Goff time, but hearing him talk about how the coaches are hanging out in the air conditioning while they’re out in the heat was worth it.

That guy is related to Craig

Craig Reynolds does look like his dad. Who’s ready for some Kutztown highlights? We got that and we got more Reynolds’ career retrospective. What a journey that Reynolds took to get to Detroit. In present day, we know that Reynolds has made the Lions’ 53-man roster. On Tuesday’s episode, we got to see the part of the discussion that perhaps led to Craig Reynolds getting that spot. Maybe Campbell was afraid one of the offensive line would show up to his door. By the way, no more Icy Hot for Reynolds.

Juggling

I just really hope that Kalil Pimpleton isn’t remembered as the guy who juggled on “Hard Knocks.”

The Longest Day

The Lions really went for it in this practice. It was a full-on war between the offense and defense, and the coaches got competitive. The players did too. Aidan Hutchinson was doing his thing and was sweating buckets. He got himself a few sacks, as well.

Seeing the final reps of this practice took me back to my football days when it was the end of a two-a-days, and you just have nothing left. That Hank Fraley speech at the end where he told some of his offensive linemen that some of them won’t make this their living. That’s the kind of speech you never want to hear is this game.

Meet the Rodrigos

I love moments like these. You get a reminder that these football players are people just like you. They have parents and siblings, and their life with them doesn’t change much. Little brother still busts your chops, and mom and dad are still supportive as ever. Hopefully we get more stuff like this in the final episode.

Blough vs. Boyle

We know Tim Boyle played a bad game early. We got to see some of the on-field insight on putting Blough into the game early than planned. Clearly Campbell wasn’t happy about Boyle’s performance, including an ugly interception. I’m not sure Campbell was much happier about Blough either.

The big difference is that Blough clearly showed the grit. You really got to see how badly he wanted it after hearing him mic’d up on those big hits he took in the fourth quarter. Blough just kept taking hits and kept getting back up, eventually leading the Lions to a touchdown late. That has to be a big reason why he’s still here.

Chase Lucas game ball

Chase Lucas got presented the game ball by the official like he had just been knighted. You love to see it.

Decisions

The episode concludes with an emotional scene in the locker room after the game. You never want to see someone’s dream end. It was a very somber locker room because everyone knows what the next few days bring. It’s like walking the green mile. Then the show flashes back to the coaching decision room again, where the coaches are making their decisions. It’s almost hard to watch.