For a series that seemed to lack a consistent strain of drama over its five hour-long episodes, the Dallas Cowboys’ season of being featured on Hard Knocks finished with a flourish Tuesday night.
The fifth and final episode of the the NFL Films’ series on HBO finished with a mini tribute to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Or, to be more accurate, a mini tribute to Jones’ passion for the game and quest to win a fourth Super Bowl since he purchased the franchise.
In the final few minutes of the episode, the camera captured Jones, who turns 79 on Oct. 13, sitting alone in his office at The Star in Frisco, watching the Cowboys practice on their outside field. He muses on the how sharp Dak Prescott looks. He reminisces how lucky the Cowboys were to draft him in the fourth round in 2016.
“That nature, that aura, it’s just there,” Jones said wistfully of Prescott before describing him as a Pied Piper-like character when he was being interviewed by Cowboys staff before the draft.
“That’s an area where we haven’t quantified it yet,” Jones said of evaluating the intangibles of a prospect such as Prescott in 2016. “You can do it with speed. You can do it with size. And you can do it with some stats. That heart, that inside? That’s a toughie.”
And then the soft sounds of Phoebe Bridgers’ sparse cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” starts to build in the background.
“Yesterday is as dead as Napoleon,” Jones said. “What counts is what I do in the next few minutes stepping out this door and going forward.”
We then start to see 30-year-old images of a younger Jones when he bought the Cowboys, along with a montage of images of him celebrating three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s.
“I try to do all I can with our team. It all goes to lifting that Lombardi Trophy,” he said. “The game itself is only about a few percentage points of euphoria. And that’s why I’m in it. When you get that euphoria, there’s nothing like it. And I do want some more of it.”
It was an emotional crescendo for the series, which has been perfectly timed for the Cowboys season opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers Thursday.
Tom Brady and the Bucs were mentioned several times throughout the episode, including a prescient moment when defensive line coach Aden Durde makes it clear how important his unit will be against the Bucs.
“The No. 1 thing on Thursday night is we make No. 12 [Tom Brady] uncomfortable every [expletive] snap,” Durde said with his thick English accent. “If we do our job on Thursday night, I promise you we win this game.”
Other highlights of the finale included special teams coach John “Bones” Fassel trying to convince his squad that running shouldn’t be viewed as punishment for poor play.
“Running is never going to be a punishment,” said Fassel, who looks to have zero body fat. “Running is a reward.”
Yeah, sure coach.
Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons discussed edge rush technique with former Cowboys great DeMarcus Ware, who described playing against Brady as highlights from a 2007 Cowboys-Patriots game were shown.
The oddest moment of the finale was head coach Mike McCarthy making it clear to the world that he thinks Ben DiNucci has something athletically special inside him.
Cameras eavesdropped on McCarthy, vice president of player personnel Will McClay and Jerry and Stephen Jones discussing the final roster cuts. McCarthy makes it clear that his staff rated Cooper Rush slightly ahead of Garrett Gilbert, hence Gilbert being released. McCarthy then goes into his reasoning for why they should keep DiNucci on the practice squad.
“This is a philosophical issue. I just don’t believe in giving up on a guy in his second year,” McCarthy tells the Joneses. “Ben DiNucci has things we’re not going to find in free agency. If Ben DiNucci is going to make it, he’s got to get it going between his ears. But the physical tools are there. I’m disappointed he didn’t show us more in the [preseason] games. He’s tentative, he plays slow. But he’s a young guy and we may have something there.”
McCarthy sees something that DiNucci has yet to show the rest of the world.
The biggest “aaaaaw” moment of the series was Aaiden Diggs, the four-year-old son of cornerback Trevon Diggs. Diggs was featured several times in the series, but the most adorable turn came in the finale when he met Dak Prescott at an ice cream parlor.
The young Diggs was at first confused when Prescott made his entrance. Little Diggs, who was wearing Prescott’s No. 4 jersey, thought for a moment Prescott was Patrick Mahomes.
“It’s good to see you. How do you feel? the precocious Diggs asked Prescott.
“I feel good. I’m ready,” Prescott responded. “Are you ready?”
Prescott gave him another jersey and offered to sign it “not Patrick Mahomes” to help him remember his name.
Another emotional moment was Azul Kamara Facetiming with his mother when he learned he made the roster.
“You made the team? Amen, thank you, Lord,” his mother rejoiced.
