AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth
“It’s brutal out here.”
There’s a reason HBO chose Olivia Rodrigo’s hit song Brutal as something of a soundtrack for Tuesday’s episode of Hard Knocks chronicling training camp for the Dallas Cowboys. After all, America’s Team was dealing with a number of challenges, which were all on full display in the fourth episode of the season.
The biggest challenge for the players was dealing with the looming cuts that always take center stage this time of year as teams attempt to trim the roster to 53.
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That alone would have lent an ominous tone to the proceedings, but the Cowboys had other concerns to deal with in the form of virtual meetings.
Dallas announced defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, safety Malik Hooker and safety Israel Mukuamu were all in COVID-19 protocols, which made those virtual meetings necessary.
Fortunately for the squad, those meetings didn’t last long with no additional positive tests, but even the in-person return to the practice fields meant working through the grueling Texas heat with roster spots hanging in the balance.
One of those players competing for a spot was running back JaQuan Hardy, who was already a featured player in previous episodes of Hard Knocks thanks to his struggles keeping his contact lenses in during a game and eventual switch to rec specs.
Hardy had a golden opportunity to make an impact when Rico Dowdle was ruled out for the season with a hip injury.
It wasn’t all tense battles to avoid cuts, though, as there were some of the light-hearted moments Hard Knocks is known for such as when Micah Parsons’ mother, Sherese, cooked for the team and the rookie defender showed off his Connect Four skills against Leighton Vander Esch.
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Dak Prescott also got involved in the comic relief when he played the role of instigator when wide receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Trevon Diggs were facing each other in practice and then shared an idea for a new tailgate game:
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The comic relief became literal when defensive end Tarell Basham tried his hand at stand-up comedy and head coach Mike McCarthy even busted out a dance in film study leading up to the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The shift to the game put the reality of eventual cuts back into focus, especially for featured players such as Hardy, Isaac Alarcon, Azur Kamara, Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert.
From a team perspective, it was a game to forget.
Dallas lost 34-14 and dropped to 0-4 in the preseason. The secondary struggled against Trevor Lawrence, who finished 11-of-12 passing for 139 yards and two touchdowns, while the offense didn’t generate much consistency, even though DiNucci and Gilbert each threw a touchdown pass.
It was at least progress for DiNucci, who bounced back from the three interceptions he threw against the Houston Texans in the previous preseason game, but it wasn’t good enough as both he and Gilbert were cut. That clears the way for Cooper Rush to be Prescott’s backup.
Whether the other players make the cut will surely be covered in the next episode, but the Cowboys announced they also waived Hardy and Alarcon on Tuesday,
Perhaps they put enough on film during Hard Knocks to earn a look from other teams.
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