'Hard Knocks' Episode 2 recap: Fun and games at Jets camp

Aaron Rodgers still got the most screen time on HBO's second episode of this season’s “Hard Knocks,” but the Jets’ star quarterback shared the wealth, from Quinnen Williams to rookie Will McDonald IV to Zach Wilson to a mentalist who once won the Long Island Marathon in back-to-back years.

It was an episode of fun and games, on and off the field. Here’s the Episode 2 recap.

(Note: Spoilers below). 

PIERCING ROOKIE

Will McDonald IV, the No. 15 pick in this year’s draft, stepped into the spotlight. First, we saw him getting his eyebrow, ear and nose pierced.  “My style is unpredictable,” the free spirit said. Then we saw him cutting through the Panthers’ offensive line during the Jets’ 27-0 preseason win last Saturday. Jets coach Robert Saleh was impressed with just about everything McDonald did, from getting his first sack to the athletic maneuver he used to rise to his feet after a play. McDonald got the attention of the Carolina O-line, too, as one player told him, “You shifty, dog.” 

‘Q’ RATING

Quinnen Williams has been the Jets’ best player, and he was rewarded with a four-year, $96 million contract this offseason. “It’s a lot of money,” Jets owner Woody Johnson told Saleh on the practice field, to which Saleh said, “And he’s the right person to give it to.” Williams dominated during the Jets’ joint practice with Carolina. “I probably got 10 sacks today by myself,” he told Aaron Rodgers, who then held up both index fingers when Williams got No. 11.

RUN OR PASS

One of the best behind-the-scenes scenes was in the quarterbacks room as the coaches put together tape of Rodgers’ signature play-fakes to see if the backup QBs could guess which was a run and which was a pass. Tim Boyle went 1-for-3 and Zach Wilson guessed correctly on the two they showed him answering. Wilson, who grew up idolizing Rodgers and is now his protege, had some fun at his mentor’s expense after the first question: “[Expletive] easy. [Expletive] [expletive] fake.” Wilson’s diss got Rodgers’ attention, who paused before asking, “What did you say?” It’s clear the two have a strong rapport. Later in the episode, Wilson, wearing an arm sleeve for the preseason game, said of Rodgers’ take on it: "I got Dad’s approval on the swag.”

RODGERS: A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

If there was one clip that gave you an inside look at how Rodgers’ mind works, it was him picking up grass and then throwing it back on the field. His new teammates were wondering what it’s all about. He said it started in Green Bay, and that one benefit is that it lets you know which way the wind is blowing. We also got to see Rodgers schmooze it up with Panthers No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, NFL official Carl Cheffers and James Campen, Carolina’s offensive line coach who spent years in Green Bay. Those were all friendly interactions, but Rodgers showed his fiery side during the joint practice when he yelled, “No sack! No sack!” after the Panthers were awarded one. 

ROOKIE NO-SHOW

One of the highlights of every season of “Hard Knocks” is the rookie show, when newbies step up on a stage before their teammates and try to impress them with a fun skit. The most famous one in show history appeared in the very first season, when Ravens undrafted rookie linebacker Tim Johnson stole the show with his spot-on impersonation of Shannon Sharpe. While that was the gold standard of rookie shows, this year’s Jets’ class may have hit a new low, with teammates throwing rolled-up balls of paper at them after each skit. It was so bad that linebacker C.J. Mosley stood up and said, “Run it back” next week.

‘TRAINING CAMP CAN MAKE YOU MENTAL.’

It was the perfect segue by narrator Liev Schreiber after mentalist Oz Pearlman put on a show to open Episode 2. Pearlman, the third-place finisher on Season 10 of “America’s Got Talent” and a successful marathon runner (including the 2016 Long Island Marathon), had the Jets out of their seats in disbelief. First, he asked running back Michael Carter (No. 32) to change his number without telling anyone, and the mentalist correctly guessed No. 10. Cool, but he was just warming up.

Pearlman then called down receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., who had to knock off puzzle pieces, then pick one . . . which of course was the missing piece in Pearlman's pre-arranged puzzle. He also asked Hardman if the Jets were to make the Super Bowl, who would be the opponent and what would be the score, and of course his guess (Jets 31, 49ers 21) was already written down on the back of the puzzle by Pearlman.

But his final act was the wildest of all, and it included Rodgers. Pearlman asked safeties coach Marquand Manuel to look through a list of animal names that have never been an NFL team name, and he picked “Goldfish.” Then Rodgers had to pick a card, and while Pearlman correctly said it was the 3 of diamonds, the real showstopper was what happened next: “Look in your hands,” Pearlman told Rodgers, who then noticed a goldfish in the case. Eruption ensued, and then the line of the night from an unidentified player:

“What if you would’ve picked a giraffe, though?

By Joe Manniello

joe.manniello@newsday.com@joe_manniello

Joe Manniello, an editor on the sports copy desk, has written the NFL picks column since 2015. Manniello joined Newsday in 2004. He graduated from St. John's.