Jets HBO 'Hard Knocks' 2023: Best Fan Tweets, Memes from Episode 2

Every Super Bowl season requires a little magic, so the 2023 New York Jets are getting an early start.

HBO's Hard Knocks is at its best when the actual football takes a backseat, and Tuesday's episode wasted no time catching the attention of the viewers and players. Oz Pearlman, who is a mentalist and magician, visited the team and stunned Aaron Rodgers and Co. with a number of different tricks.

Whether it was Michael Carter guessing numbers or Mecole Hardman Jr. picking out a puzzle piece and envisioning the score of the Super Bowl, Pearlman wowed the Jets.

But it was his trick where he correctly guessed the card Rodgers was thinking of and then left the signal-caller holding a goldfish, which was the animal that safeties coach Marquand Manuel picked in advance, that left the biggest impression and had one of the Jets yelling, "What if you would've picked a giraffe, though?"

For as mind-boggling as the mentalist was, the Jets are going to need some of that magic on the field as well.

And Quinnen Williams brought it.

While much of the first episode was about Rodgers' arrival to New York and stars such as Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, the defensive tackle had his moment to shine during the second one. Whether he was dominating joint practices with the Carolina Panthers, shouting out his agent or dropping entertaining quotes, Williams was one of Tuesday's stars.

Dominance of the Panthers was a theme for the Jets, as they steamrolled the NFC South team during a 27-0 preseason win after the joint practice.

Rodgers and many of the team's stars didn't play, but New York turned in an encouraging showing. The defense shut down No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and finished with five sacks and an interception, while Zach Wilson threw a touchdown to Kenny Yeboah on the offensive side.

Rodgers' mentorship of Wilson seems to be paying off on the field, but it still didn't help him correctly guess the future Hall of Famer's play fakes:

If opposing defenses have as much trouble diagnosing what Rodgers is doing on the field as his own teammates did, the Jets will have quite the season.

Perhaps even a magical one.