The NFL preseason here, and that means one thing -- HARD KNOCKS IS BACK. HBO's gloriously addictive documentary series is the football fan's version of True Detective in that it's appointment television, regardless of other "commitments." The Houston Texans are this year's spotlight team, so we thought this would be a good time to get you prepped for just what you're going to see on Tuesday's season premiere.
JJ Watt
Let's be real here -- JJ Watt is going to be to this season like Urkel was to Family Matters. Every time Watt steps on to a football field, destruction necessarily follows. That's true both in practice and during games, so we won't be surprised if HBO's camera men keep one eye on him at all times. Probably the most charismatic and marketable defensive star in the entire NFL today, expect Watt to be a central figure of the premiere and every episode after that.
The Texans/Redskins Brawl
We're unsure how quickly HBO is going to splice coverage of Saturday's massive eruption of bad blood and brawls at the teams' joint practice, but we have to think that the Hard Knocks producers will rush that footage into the mix to provide one heck of a teaser for the rest of the season. If you haven't checked out the carnage just yet, go ahead and watch a little taste of it at this link. Now imagine what HBO can do with that adding dramatic music and cuts to the mix.
The Texans' QB Competition
Now for the actual football side of things. Second-year Texans head coach Bill O'Brien has been mums about who may have the edge between incumbent Ryan Mallett and the recently-signed Brian Hoyer. Neither Hoyer or Mallett have built even the slightest of advantages from an eye-test perspective either in OTAs or to begin training camp, so we expect the push and pull between the two contenders to dominate a solid portion of Tuesday's show. Also, watch out for Tom Savage's underdog story. It'd be great TV if he blows up the preseason and climbs the ladder to a starting spot.
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