FOXBOROUGH — Last year before his team faced the Colts, Patriots coach Bill Belichick admitted somebody in the organization would watch the in-season edition of “Hard Knocks” that featured Indianapolis, just in case there was any information of value.
“We track most everything any team that we play does. Depending on the relevance or importance of that information, at some point, it gets relayed down the line,” Belichick said at the time. “We have somebody that studies each team. Any relevant comments or information that we think is relevant to the preparation, that could be shared, sure.”
This week’s opponent, the Detroit Lions, was featured in the 2022 preseason “Hard Knocks”. It’s safe to assume somebody on the coaching staff saw it. Did the players watch?
Mike Onwenu said he saw some of it but didn’t go out of his way to find it.
“I watched the first few episodes,” he said. “We’re all players, but seeing how it is on another team is cool.”
Josh Uche, who played with Lions rookie Aiden Hutchinson at Michigan, tuned in to see him.
“I watched it a little. My boy Aiden is doing his thing, dancing and all that,” he said. “Knowing some guys, I know Aiden personally. It’s fun to see guys be themselves.”
Hunter Henry, who has been on “Hard Knocks” before with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 said he watched a little.
“I saw clips of it. I didn’t really watch a ton of it. They do a good job with that show getting fans engaged and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “We were on it in 2020. It’s pretty wild to see the behind-the-scenes of it. It’s interesting being on the other side of it.”
Others missed the show for a variety of reasons.
Davon Godchaux’s TV is tuned elsewhere.
“I haven’t watched Hard Knocks in a long time. I watch TV, but it’s more series,” said Godchaux, who recommends “Queen of the South” on Netflix. “It’s really good.”
Jakobi Meyers said he didn’t watch it this year because he didn’t have HBO Max when it was on.
“Once I missed it, I didn’t go back,” he said.
Rookie Cole Strange said he watched it in high school, but not since. He understood the appeal, but didn’t like certain things exposed to the camera.
“It’s kind of like that show Last Chance U. Filming in a football meeting? That just seems a little bit off to me. It just seems weird opening up to the world,” he said. “At a meeting, coaches are talking to you. It doesn’t seem like something everybody needs to see.”
The Patriots have never been on “Hard Knocks” and most of the players preferred to keep it that way.
“I’m good without being on it,” Onwenu said. “It’s cool, but I don’t think I would like it very much.”
Myles Bryant agreed.
“I couldn’t picture it. It would be tough,” he said. “Let’s stay away.”
Upon learning a team doesn’t have to be on if they’ve made the playoffs in the past two seasons, Meyers added that to the list of many reasons to want to make the postseason.
“I know the Patriots don’t operate that way. That’s another reason,” he said. “Keep the cameras off.”
Conversely, Uche actually thought it might be fun.
“We’re on TV all the time on Sundays. If you’re a good person, you’re a good person; if you’re not, you better hide yourself from the camera. Everything is public. I don’t think much would change. Everything is recorded,” he said. “That would be funny as hell. I’m not going to lie. I wish I could go back and watch some of the days we’ve had here, pretty entertaining days. It would be dope to watch that on TV and have everyone else see that too.”
The Link LonkOctober 09, 2022 at 05:00PM
https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2022/10/did-patriots-players-watch-the-lions-on-hard-knocks.html
Did Patriots players watch the Lions on Hard Knocks? - MassLive.com
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