8 things we’re watching for on the 1st episode of Detroit Lions Hard Knocks

Tuesday night is the night we’ve all been waiting for since March. The first episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks features the Detroit Lions with its premiere at 10 p.m. ET. We’ve already seen some clips hit the internet and it looks like this should be a very fun watch.

There’s no telling what we’re going to get on the first episode, but here are some things I’m on the lookout for.

Dan Campbell speeches

“We’ll tread water as long as it takes to fucking bury you.”

Hook that kind of stuff directly into my veins, please.

That can’t be the only speech we get from Campbell. The man is like a really good wrestler cutting a really good promo. How much will we get to see in the first episode? Seeing as though the first episode will set the table on the Lions and their culture, Campbell is almost certainly going to be heavily featured in the premiere.

The personality of the rest of the coaching staff

We’ve got to know Dan Campbell pretty well and we’ve seen a little bit of Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and Duce Staley too, but it feels like the rest of the country could very well get introduced to the rest of the group as well. There are already some clips featuring Duce Staley out there, so look for him to get some screen time. We should see all the guys, but here’s hoping we get a better glimpse of their coaching styles.

The rookies

While I think we’ll get more of the rookies later on in the season, we should probably expect to get some time with both first-rounders Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams. I’m guessing there will a thread throughout the first episode that shows the early acclimation periods for both these players, maybe even some draft stuff too.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

There’s a good story with St. Brown. His brother plays in the same division, and his dad is a former Mr. Universe. St. Brown also has a crazy work ethic that could be featured. Maybe his love of his Jugs machine is something the show talks about? One thing we definitely know is that the Hard Knocks crew was at the St. Brown household in early July and the whole family was there. Will that be part of the first episode?

Jared Goff

There’s no way we get out of episode one without talking about Jared Goff. His story about the rise in fall in LA, the harsh trade to Detroit and his early struggles and late triumphs—it’s all too much to ignore. Look for some moments that show Goff working with Lions quarterback coach Mark Brunell. Maybe we’ll even get some shots of the work that Goff has been putting in with his receivers outside of camp.

Goff is already a Hard Knocks veteran, so he may not be featured as heavily in years past, but he still remains a huge storyline of this team.

Applebees talk

Who’s ready to eat good in the neighborhood?

Those maple blondie brownies are really damn good.

Funny stuff

There are a lot of fun personalities on this team. Frank Ragnow is definitely one of them. Jamaal Williams should probably get his own episode, and then get a 12-episode spinoff after that. The offensive line is a fun group too. T.J. Hockenson has some untapped character. There will be laughs in this episode. Look for one or more of these guys to bring them.

Behind the scenes of the Family Fest

I’m not sure how much HBO plans to shove into this first hour, but they were on scene for the Ford Field Family Fest. There were a lot of highlights to show from that day and this might also be a good opportunity for the show to highlight the families of some of the players.