Episode 3 of HBO's 'Hard Knocks' featuring the Falcons aired Tuesday night and we got some decent behind-the-scenes insight on the team interspersed with the funny bits. Here are five things we learned about the Falcons:
1. Julio Jones still has to get over his injury mentally even if that's hard to tell
Jones had surgery to repair a broken fifth metatarsal in his right foot last October. He's been practicing part time during training camp and made his exhibition debut at Houston on Saturday.
Jones told 'Hard Knocks' this is the longest he's gone without a game since he started playing football and de he’s got one more step to go.
“Physically, we are there, but I am still progressing mentally," Jones said. "Just having that confidence I can go out there and run routes without thinking about my foot. “
Later we see the video evidence that Jones is indeed feeling good physically. During a practice against the Texans, Jones runs through a series of hard cuts and smooth, explosive accelerations.
“Boy, I can’t be stopped,” Jones gleefully tells teammates, and it doesn't sound like boasting.
2. Kroy Biermann also lacks full confidence post-surgery
Biermann had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles heel in September and, not surprisingly, he says he’s still not quite sure about it.
Outside linebackers coach Mark Collins asks Biermann about his energy level during a game.
“It was all right,” Biermann says. “I was a little bit apprehensive with my foot, I feel like. It could have been better.”
Collins: “If you are a little bit apprehensive with your foot, that explains it. I didn’t feel that Kroy Biermann that I normally feel on a game day.”
Biermann: “I’m good. I’m just fighting through it.”
I had Achilles surgery a few years back and it was a good two years before I had full confidence in my foot. Obviously I didn’t have the same kind of resources for rehab as Biermann and I’m no elite athlete but I understand how he feels.
3. Jake Matthews earned the respect of J.J. Watt
Watt, the Texans defensive end, is one of the top pass rushers in the league. We see the footage of Watt handling Matthews during a blocking drill in practice. Falcons line coach Mike Tice offers Matthews some mild critiques and corrections during practice and also during a video session later.
“Jake against the ‘freakazoid,’” Tice says during the review. “It’s good to play a guy like that. There are not many you are going to play like that this year.”
Later, the cameras capture some small talk between Watt and Falcons coach Mike Smith during a lull in practice.
“Your right tackle, your little rookie, he’s going to be a good little player someday,” Watt tells Smith.
'Hard Knocks' also shows that Matthews knew he would be the starting left tackle before the Falcons were done playing the Texans.
Sam Baker suffered a knee injury during the game and Dr. Spero Karas, the head team physician, tells Baker he fears he tore his patellar tendon. Word gets to the sideline that it looks bad for Baker, and Tice puts Matthews on notice:
“When you wake up tomorrow, you will be our left tackle. All right? So get your mind right.”
4. Defensive line coach Bryan Cox’s style is tough love
The harder and softer sides of Cox’s coaching are shown in separate interactions with rookies Nosa Eguae, Theo Agnew and Ra'Shede Hageman.
During a meeting, Cox shows his charges some family pictures that include his daughters. He playfully tells Agnew: "Keep the (bleep) away from my daughter." Cox later explains to the cameras that Agnew connected with his daughter on Instagram, so he had to disabuse him of any ideas about dating her. "
Later, we hear Cox’s critique of Eguae’s practice performance during a group video review. Says Cox: “You just kind of doing your own thing here. I don’t know what the hell that is. And that double-team technique you are doing, that don’t resemble no (bleep_ that I’m teaching and I’m tired of saying that to you so good luck to you however you want to do it. If you ain’t listening to me ain’t no sense in me coaching it.”
Cox also continues to push rookie Hageman, who appears to need it. During the loss at Houston on Saturday, Cox calls Hageman over to him on the sidelines and the microphones capture his words: “Get your mind right. Quit being mentally weak. Every time you get tired you don’t get in the proper stance. . . . Line up and get yourself ready to play. You understand me? Look at me. You understand me?”
5. Matt Ryan tells off-color jokes
Jokes are all in the telling, and Ryan’s joke probably loses something in written form, but here it is as told by Ryan:
So there's this old man who sits on his porch every day. And there's these kids that walk by with chicken wire. The old man says to them: "What are you guys doing with that chicken wire?"
"We are going to get some chickens."
"You're not going to catch any chickens with chicken wire."
So they walk out. Couple hours later they walk back, they got a bunch of chicken under their arm.
Next day they walk by and they've got duck tape. The old man looks at them and says: "What are you doing with that duck tape"?
"We're going to go catch some ducks with it."
He says: "You are not going to catch any ducks with duck tape."
So they walk by a couple hours with a bunch of ducks under their hands.
Next day, the kids walk by with a bunch of pussy willow and the old man goes, "Let me grab my hat."
(Note: I've always said "duct tape" but apparently it also can be called "duck tape.")
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