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The final episode of HBO and NFL Films’ “Hard Knocks – In Season with the Arizona Cardinals” aired Wednesday night, and as epic as it was to chronicle the final week of JJ Watt’s career, what everyone wanted also see was how the would announce the end of coach Kliff Kingsbury’s tenure.
“Hard Knocks” didn’t disappoint, even if the show didn’t always pull back the curtains as much as fans hoped it would.
Before he was fired Monday morning by team owner Michael Bidwill, cameras caught Kingsbury speaking to the team in the locker room at Levi’s Stadium following the Cardinals’ 38-13 loss to the 49ers, the down to 4-13 this season.
“I’m disappointed for all of you, for all of you, because I know what you deserve,” Kingsbury told his players. “It didn’t work this year, but it will work!” This year has arrived for us, not for us, and we will learn from it and move forward, I promise.
“But I can’t tell you how much it meant to me how you (expletive) worked and showed up every week, man. It meant everything to me, so thank you all.
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At the end of the show, after clips from Monday’s Bidwill press conference announcing the sacking of Kingsbury and the resignation of chief executive Steve Keim, “Hard Knocks” showed a brief clip of Kingsbury speaking to some of his players once again in the auditorium of the team’s Tempe training facility.
He tells them what most of them have already heard: A change has been made.
“Again, thank you all. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done,” he told them. “You deserve better than that. you have worked hard and i am in debt forever. If I can help you in any way, let me know. Very well? I love you all.”
One bright spot involving Kingsbury involved the “Joe Montana” play he developed for quarterback David Blough and veteran receiver AJ Green. The fleaflicker worked perfectly – on Sunday’s second play after scrimmage, he scored a 77-yard touchdown.
Earlier, during a scene shot at his Paradise Valley home, Kingsbury reflected on what a trying season it had been, especially for him.
“I think it was one of those years that definitely tested my patience. For the first three years we operated like that,” he said, moving his hand in an upward motion. “Everybody (was happy) with the core and the talent, the quarterback (Kyler Murray ) develops, everything moves forward. . This year, it was dramatically backwards.
“I think we were well placed until this season. We just have to find a way to get back there.
They will do so without Watt, the veteran defensive end and former three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, who decided in November he was going to retire after this season. And they might also have to do it without star receiver DeAndre Hopkins, whose name has been linked to multiple trade rumors.
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“Hard Knocks” filmed Hopkins and linebacker Zaven Collins at a pottery studio and then filmed Hopkins alone at home talking about Arizona’s disappointing season. He said his six-game suspension to start the year for testing positive for traces of PED was a big part of that.
“I was out six games and I feel like that put us back right there,” he said. “I have to take responsibility for it. I disadvantaged my team from the jump. … It was a very (expletive) season. … The season has been (expletive) in place.
The most dramatic part of the final episode of “Hard Knocks,” however, were clips during the 49ers game and the pre- and post-game scenes featuring Watt, his teammates, and time with his wife. wife, Kealia, and their newborn son, Koa.
The crescendo was cameras inside the team meeting room on Saturday night at the hotel in which a video tribute by defensive line coach Matt Burke was played for Watt and the entire team . It only lasted about six minutes, but Watt was sobbing for a few seconds as he watched his brother, TJ, the Steelers’ All-Pro outside linebacker, explain how much his big brother had helped him on his way.
JJ Watt could barely watch players such as Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady weigh in with their personal messages, and the bawling continued as his parents and wife offered their own praise and congratulations.
Watt addressed the team after the video tribute, saying, among other things, “No one does it alone, man. People give me a (expletive) load of credit and I’m sure you’ve had enough (expletive) ) to hear from me in the last two weeks and I apologize.
He added: “I hope you take something from me. I don’t know if you do, but I hope you take something from me and pass it on to someone else because that’s what it’s all about, ultimately it’s about what you pass on to someone else and the ripple effect we create in this world.
The sights and sounds of the following day, when Watt received a standing ovation and the cheers of the entire crowd as he left the game at the two-minute warning, were also heartbreaking moments.
Kealia Watt said she and the family can’t wait to take their first real vacation together when JJ’s workout isn’t the No. 1 goal after all.
“I literally don’t know what people are doing in August,” her husband said.
