The fourth episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks" with the Browns "illustrated the standards" that offensive coordinator Todd Haley "expects his players to meet by showing him yell" at WR Jarvis Landry during last week’s 5-0 preseason win over the Eagles, according to Nate Ulrich of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. Late in the game, a calmer Haley "implored Landry to lead by example at all times." The coach "didn’t like the way rookie receiver Derrick Willies ran a go route and pointed it out to Landry." Then Haley and Landry "hugged" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/29). In Cleveland, Mary Kay Cabot notes heated exchanges with Haley are "becoming almost as common" on the show as DE Carl Nassib's "pearls of wisdom" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/29). USA TODAY's Jim Reineking writes other notable moments from last night's episode involved QB Baker Mayfield, who during the rookie talent show "faced some jokes for an underwear ad and then impersonated" Browns GM John Dorsey (USA TODAY, 8/29).
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED: In Cleveland, Scott Patsko wrote "Hard Knocks" last night got right to the "storyline we all expected this week" with the return of WR Josh Gordon. However, they are "going to stretch this out." All viewers got was Gordon "in the locker room with his iPad." Towards the end of the show, HBO "lays out the drama for next week," asking if DE Nate Orchard and TE Devon Cajuste will "have a place on the roster" (CLEVELAND.com, 8/28). SI.com's Conor Orr writes Haley delivered "quite possibly the best moment in Hard Knocks history." After K Zane Gonzalez makes a field goal, Haley "leans over to him as he walks toward the sideline and says 'Nice job, you f------ kicker.'" Cajuste's line of the week was, "The moon is out, I can pull energy from that. That's dope." Orr notes each week, "more of the curtain has been peeled back" on Nassib. Those who may have "latched on to Nassib’s financial advice on Episode 1 may have left Episode 4 very concerned that they’re in the grip of a madman." During last night's episode, Nassib said, "Bro aliens are real. I don’t know that they’re real, but I think that they’re real" (SI.com, 8/29).
