The penultimate of Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills, Episode 4, is a bittersweet snapshot of the final days of camp, raising the stakes for a new season of football. Prior to the release of Episode 4, the official 53-man roster was released, revealing which prospective players made the cut. With this knowledge going in, the fourth episode is both ironic and melancholic, acting as an In Memoriam for players who didn’t make the team, like Jimmy Ciarlo and K. J. Hamler.
Buffalo Bills Players Jimmy Ciarlo and K. J. Hamler Fall Short of Roster Spots
Let’s start with Jimmy Ciarlo. The former New York Jet impressed head coach Sean McDermott with his drive and hunger to go after plays. After making a splash during the preseason game against the New York Giants, Ciarlo is shown working hard for more reps. We even get insight into his close relationship with his dad, who gets on his first plane ride in decades to see his son play in Tampa. After a slow start in the final preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ciarlo stepped up to make more key tackles and a fumble recovery. Yet, Ciarlo joined the team late into the preseason, which means he hasn’t learned the Bills’ defensive playbook. Perhaps if he had been around sooner, he would’ve had a real shot at making the 53-man roster. Of the players featured in Episode 4, Ciarlo had more of the wholesome moments, which added a bittersweet tone to knowing his fate.
All is not lost for Ciarlo. Although he was released by the Bills, he could be added to the practice squad; maybe even elevated during the season should a linebacker or nickelback be injured. Just because he didn’t make the 53-man roster for the Bills doesn’t mean his story is done. If anything, Ciarlo getting a spotlight on Hard Knocks has revealed his humble yet hungry attitude that aligns with the Bills organization. I don’t think this is the last we see of Jimmy Ciarlo in Buffalo. Maybe by the time this review is live, Ciarlo will be officially added to the practice squad. Only time will tell.
Someone else who didn’t make the 53-man roster was our scooter king, K.J. Hamler. As I mentioned during my Episode 2 review, Hamler has been a breakout star of this season of Hard Knocks: Training Camp. His fun personality fits in nicely with the Buffalo Bills’ culture, even getting praise from Josh Allen. Unfortunately, when we see him in action at practice during Episode 4, he wasn’t completing plays the way that he needed to. During the final preseason game, he caught an impressive 30-yard throw by QB Shane Buechele and almost scored the team’s first touchdown; it was later reversed. Yet it wasn’t enough to secure a spot on the team. Again, I hope by the time you’re reading this, Hamler has been added to the practice squad. If this really is the last we see of him in Buffalo, I hope he rides off into the sunset with his scooter, knowing that Bills Mafia is rooting for him. Hamler, we’ll miss you!
Hard Knocks: Training Camp Briefly Exposes Agitation Between Buffalo Bills Players
Despite outside knowledge of releases and roster picks, Episode 4 is by no means a bad episode. In fact, this episode features a glimpse of some drama. During the last day of training camp, the offense and the defense got into a pretty heated fight that the coaches needed to break up. Hard Knocks completely brushed past this to get audiences to Tampa for the last preseason (evidence of the Bills organization implementing their editorial stamp on what’s featured). So much for talking up how unique and special the team culture is. I’m joking, but I do find it ironic that’s what I wrote about last week, and now, we get a dramatic, tense scene.
Regardless of the brief tension during practice, the fourth episode continues to highlight what makes the Buffalo Bills a great team to watch. We get insight into the techniques utilized to improve Josh Allen’s throwing, as well as the other quarterbacks on the team, thanks to the team’s performance analyst, Chris Hess. We see OT Dion Dawkins quizzing his fellow teammates in a spelling bee. We watch Dion Dawkins and Josh Allen singing, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” by Panic! At The Disco during the last day of practice. We celebrate hard work paying off for Tyrell Shavers while watching his one-handed catch for a touchdown in the last preseason game; Shavers goes on to make the 53-man roster as one of the Bills’ wide receivers. Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills Episode 4 still features the hallmarks of what makes this football team special.
Don’t Stop Billievin’: The Buffalo Bills’ Shot at Greatness Is Here
The preseason is officially over. The 53-man roster has been announced. Roster cuts and additions are being made as I type (literally, it was just reported that All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer is coming back to Buffalo). There are no more scooter rides around Rochester. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak.
The expectation and potential surrounding the Buffalo Bills have grown significantly since 2020. There is a legitimate window of opportunity for this team to do what’s never been done: win it all. For me (and I imagine many Bills fans), it’s both exciting yet nerve-wracking. I have an awareness that the Buffalo Bills are one of the great teams of the NFL. I know we have the reigning MVP as the quarterback. I acknowledge that the Bills run the AFC East division. Yet, there are days when it doesn’t feel real. Growing up a fan during “the drought,” it’s hard for me to wrap my brain around this era of the team. What do you mean they’re consistently making it to the playoffs? What do you mean, more people know about the Bills and aren’t the laughing stock of the league? What do you mean, players are being picked up for fantasy football teams? Middle school me wouldn’t believe what she has seen in the last five years.
Unlike the drought years, now there are stakes. There is attention and conversation around this team like never before. Now there are rivalries that extend beyond the AFC East. Earlier in February, it was heartbreaking watching my team get so close to the Super Bowl only for us to fall short. Heartbreak did not feel good in the Bills backer bar where I was watching the AFC Championship (maybe I should’ve watched from an AMC theater instead). There is truth to this Ted Lasso phrase: It’s the hope that kills you.
Of the 32 teams in the league, only two will earn a ticket to the biggest game of the year. One of those teams will raise the Lombardi trophy and bring it home to their city. Thirty-two teams are hungry for this ultimate victory. For Buffalo, it’s Super Bowl or bust. Their time is now.
Yes, there are some tall mountains to climb and giants to slay to make it to the Super Bowl. Yes, there’s a chance this season could be a repeat of last season. Despite this, here I am, living for the hope of it all. The penultimate episode of Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills continues to fuel that hope as the regular season looms.
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