Tonight at 10:00 p.m. ET on HBO will premier the 10th season of Hard Knocks, an annual five-episode documentary of an NFL training camp. This year’s season will follow the Houston Texans, and can be live streamed free by clicking this link. Here are the five most compelling story lines to keep an eye on ahead of this edition.
5) Will A Real No. 2 Receiver Please Stand Up?
The No. 1 target in Houston’s passing game will undoubtedly be third-year wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, but with Andre Johnson gone, there is no clear-cut No. 2 to help ease defensive attention. The Texans picked Jaelen Strong in the third round of this year’s draft, but there hasn’t been much said about him so far.
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Nate Washington appears to be in the lead for now, but he hasn’t gotten to five touchdowns in three years. There’s also Cecil Shorts III to consider, and based on him becoming a fantasy league PPR stud despite playing in Jacksonville, he can’t be counted out.
4) How Much Of The Show Will Just Be J.J. Watt Lifting?
J.J. Watt is the NFL’s most freakish player, and most of one episode of last year’s Hard Knocks was about how Falcons rookie LT Jake Matthews wouldn’t be able to block him. If the entire five episodes were dedicated to Watt in the gym, and Watt bull-rushing people, this would be a success.
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3) What’s Jadeveon Clowney Going To Look Like?
Last season was mostly a wash for the 2014 No. 1 overall pick thanks to knee surgeries. Clowney entered the league with a ton of fan fare for his insane athleticism, and for this ridiculous hit vs. Michigan in college.
Clowney looked every bit the freak Watt is while he was playing in college, but he’ll have to prove it all over again. If he does, the Texans will probably have the best defense in football. If not, the Texans will be wishing they grabbed Teddy Bridgewater instead.
2) Who Is The Quarterback?
The Texans’ QB competition is between Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer. Mallett has thrown 79 passes in his entire career, while Hoyer was benched last season in favor of Johnny Manziel. Watching this duel may not be pretty, but entertaining is probably a good word for it.
1) Following Arian Foster
The big storyline for the Texans will be Arian Foster’s recovery from a torn groin. Foster was one of the NFL’s top rushers last season, and he was a Top 5 running back in fantasy football too even though he missed three games. Watching Houston’s mediocre group of backups vie for Foster’s spot should make for good TV, and so will the inevitable discussions about maybe bringing in Ray Rice.
Foster’s injury has thus far been the most impactful malady of the preseason (sorry Geno Smith), and bears watching.
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