DALLAS — The second episode of "Hard Knocks" debuted Tuesday night on HBO, and Dallas Cowboys fans were able to take another glimpse behind the scenes of America's Team as they traverse training camp in Oxnard, California.
Here are some takeaways from the second episode:
1. Depth in the spotlight — What "Hard Knocks" does so well is put the spotlight on down-roster players as though they were stars or fan favorites. It is easy to follow the franchise players or Pro Bowlers and capture their antics, but the way that HBO was able to show what camp has been like for second-year defensive end Azur Kamara, second-year quarterback Ben DiNucci, and even fifth-year defensive end Tarell Basham was illuminating.
Unless one is a diehard fan watching every possible video posted in the multimedia section of the official team website, these personalities get missed. Furthermore, these personalities also get a chance to be candid more so than they could be during media availability.
2. The pressure on DiNucci — The Cowboys have their franchise quarterback in Dak Prescott, and presumably their backup in Garrett Gilbert. Therefore, all of the pressure is on the former 2020 seventh-round pick from James Madison to step up in his second season.
In addition to the pressure DiNucci faces in games, fans got to see the scrutiny a third-stringer goes through when sitting in the classroom going over film with quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier.
DiNucci wasn't able to pull out the win against the Arizona Cardinals in the second preseason game, which would have gone a long way to giving the personnel department something to consider.
3. The undersized defensive end — Azur Kamara is an inspiring story as a refugee who escaped the Ivorian civil war of the mid-2000s and found his way to the United States with his family. Seemingly Kamara doesn't have a chance playing at 235 pounds as an edge rusher.
Against the Cardinals, Kamara nearly had the game sealed for Dallas, but a false start was called, which eliminated his strip-sack to close out the game as a Cowboys win. Instead, Arizona was able to score six unanswered to take the game.
It was touching to see Kamara's family in the stands at State Farm Stadium, and his mother enjoying every second of the ballgame, reinforcing that these preseason games may be boring to fans, but they are the Super Bowl to someone.
4. Talkin' Durde — First off, all credit to Meg Murray of the "Girls Talkin 'Boys" for coming up with that phrase. Witticisms aside, fans were treated to another story of a hardworking person from outside the quantifiable football universe who pushed his way into the NFL.
Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde, as owner Jerry Jones put it, "looks like he's from Arkansas but sounds like Winston Churchill."
Indeed, Durde had a certain British flair to his edification on defensive line play that made it smooth. The native Londoner became the first coach ever from the UK to earn a full time gig in the NFL when he was hired by Atlanta in 2018. Hefollowed new coordinator Dan Quinn to Dallas this offseason.
Durde has been a big part of the cohesion the defensive line has developed throughout camp, and many of the players say he has the same "truthfulness" to him that Quinn possesses. By the way, Durde's favorite Premier League team is West Ham United F.C.
What are your takeaways from the second episode of Hard Knocks featuring the Cowboys? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.
