'Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears' Episode 1 Recap and Analysis

The Chicago Bears made their "Hard Knocks" debut on Tuesday evening. After the premiere , Bears On Tap was joined by Brendan Sugrue of Bears Wire to break it all down. Topics covered included Matt Eberflus's glow-up, advice from Nick Saban, DJ Moore's new money, and Simone Biles (husband of Bears' defensive back Jonathan Owens) competing for gold at the Olympics.

We broke it all down on the podcast, which is available on YouTube , Apple , and Spotify . In the episode, Brendan and I closed the show with a few key questions, which I've detailed here!

Biggest Surprise from 'Hard Knocks' Episode 1

The biggest surprise of the episode for me was how often we saw head coach Matt Eberflus talking with, coaching up, and being around Caleb Williams. As a defensive head coach, Eberflus could easily wash his hands of quarterback development and leave it all up to new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. But throughout the episode, we saw Eberflus in the quarterback room for film study, having a one-on-one meeting with Williams, and being in the young signal-caller's ear during practice.

It's clear to me that Eberflus is very aware that his job is highly dependent on Williams' success, and he's acting accordingly. He knows the importance of getting it right with Williams and is prioritizing it without stepping on his offensive coach's toes. After witnessing so many young Bears quarterbacks being developed by coaches who didn't draft them, it was refreshing to see this union.

Brendan mentioned that the biggest surprise was seeing extended access from the meeting between Eberflus and Nick Saban. There was a clip of this scene that surfaced on social media earlier in the day, but the full scene went much deeper. Listening to Saban talk football philosophy is always a treat, and "Hard Knocks" delivered.

Favorite Moment from 'Hard Knocks' Episode 1

Brendan and I agreed that our favorite moment came early in the episode. When the Bulls' intro from the 90s starts playing, Chicagoans go into a trance. And that's exactly what happened during episode one of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears." The music starts playing, Ray Clay jumps on the mic, and you see Caleb Williams gearing up to hit the field. It just felt good.

Then, after a few beautiful throws, the cameras cut to a few missed throws before featuring Saban talking about tempering expectations for a young passer. There's some mixed messaging, going from Michael Jordan to tempering expectations. But that's a good representation of how I feel right now as a fan.

I've stated before that I'm setting the bar high for Williams. At the same time though, I'm doing my best to temper those same expectations and not overload on the rookie. It's a hard feeling to describe, and "Hard Knocks" did an excellent job of visualizing it.

What to Expect in 'Hard Knocks' Episode 2

Brendan hopes to see a storyline built around Nate Davis' practice habits and the tension it's causing around the Bears facility. After missing roughly a week of practice and being talked about by Matt Eberflus, there was no mention of the situation in the first episode. "Hard Knocks" could be saving this storyline for later in camp when a true competition for the starting spot might occur.

There's undoubtedly tension around the situation after Davis missed much of last year's camp in a similar fashion. However, Brendan mentioned that the Bears have editing power to keep things off the air. He suggested that the Bears could avoid that storyline altogether to protect their image.

In the next episode, I expect a close-up look at wide receiver Collin Johnson, who was one of the top performers in the Hall of Fame Game. I expect the producers to look to capitalize on his performance quickly before it has a chance to fade into the background. He's a great story as a player who's bounced around the league and whose massive frame could prove valuable with the NFL's new kickoff rules.

Another thing I want to see more of is DeMarcus Walker. The Bears' defensive end is one of the loudest and most outspoken players in practice periods, so I was surprised we barely heard him say a word in episode one of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears." I can't help but think that he and Keenan Allen will get some decent screen time before the series is finished.

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