Hard Knocks 2012: The Best Storylines and Most Dramatic Moments of Episode 3

After watching the most recent episode of HBO's Hard Knocks, it is clear that running back Reggie Bush has matured into a leadership role with the Miami Dolphins. 

The star running back joined Jake Long and Karlos Dansby to meet with coach Joe Philbin concerning the release of Chad Johnson, which was covered in the prior episode, and wanted to make clear that they felt communication on these types of issues was not where it needed to be. 

This was all done respectfully and professionally. And more important than what was said was the fact that Bush was one of the three to address it.  

Bush shed some light on his desired ascent to a leadership role in this quote captured by Miami radio-show host on WQAM Jon Linder.

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#Dolphins Reggie Bush "I wanna be a leader and the more the players can take control of this team, the better for us." #HardKnocks

— Jon Linder (@LinderWQAM) August 22, 2012"

With Bush coming off his first 1,000-yard season, and gaining a measure of redemption from all those who doubted if he could be an every-down back in the NFL, it was reasonable to wonder if Bush would lose some of his intensity or the chip on his shoulder. 

Judging by his actions on Hard Knocks, this is most definitely not the case. 

John Jerry's Conditioning

Early in the episode, the Dolphins were watching game film, and unfortunately for offensive guard John Jerry, the film caught the overweight lineman depositing the contents of his stomach onto the field.

As you can imagine, his teammates did not let this subtly slide by. And while Jerry performed reasonably well in the game, he could be on thin ice with his coaches, as the Sun Sentinel's Mike Berardino shows with the quote captured in this tweet:

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Offensive coordinator Mike Sherman referred to John Jerry on Hard Knocks as "a player descending fast ... going the other way."

— Mike Berardino (@MikeBerardino) August 22, 2012"

Back on July 26, the Sun Sentinel's Omar Kelly reported, "Unhappy with John Jerry's weight and level of conditioning, the Dolphins had been exploring veteran guards for months."

With Artis Hicks and Nate Garner both on the depth chart with Jerry at right guard, he could be headed toward unemployment. 

QB Battle 

News came out on Monday that rookie QB Ryan Tannehill would be the opening-day starter for Miami. This episode showcased Dolphins coaches breaking the news to both Tannehill and incumbent starter Matt Moore.

Heading into this, I was fascinated to see how Moore would handle the news. The 28-year-old was solid after taking over for Chad Henne last season, throwing 16 TDs to nine interceptions while leading the Dolphins to six wins in their last nine games. 

It has to be hard for him to hear he is going to be relegated to backup status behind a rookie, but Moore handled it like a true pro. 

The Sun Sentinel's Dave Hyde captured Moore's reaction.

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I understand, I guess it's good to know. All the questions all over the place. I told Zac from the beginning as long as we know what's going on you're not going to hurt anyone's feelings. ...Moving forward, all I can say is, I'm with you 100 percent. I've been in this situation before and had my number called from the bench and done well so....

"

After seeing this, there is no doubt in my mind that Moore will continue to work like a true professional for the team, and he will be ready should his number be called.