HBO 'Hard Knocks' 2015: Best Texans Storylines, Moments, Reaction for Episode 1

The biggest storyline surrounding Houston Texans training camp this year is the quarterback competition between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett. HBO's Hard Knocks picked an intriguing team to follow around with cameras in the 2015 edition of the successful show, the first episode of which aired Tuesday evening.

Reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt is a rare defensive player who serves as the face of a franchise. Watt is tremendous on the gridiron and has an outgoing personality that's an ideal fit for Hard Knocks. It comes as little surprise he was heavily featured in the 2015 show's opener.

New nose tackle Vince Wilfork will likely enjoy the spotlight after spending the previous 11 seasons in New England. Wilfork was once teammates with Hoyer and Mallett when they played for the Patriots. Texans head coach Bill O'Brien called plays for New England and was the QB coach in years past.

O'Brien opened Tuesday's episode lamenting the lack of outside respect for the Texans organization—a familiar tone, per the Houston Chronicle's Brian T. Smith:

So there's plenty to chew on in Texans camp, not least of which is two ex-Pats fighting for the right to start at the game's most important position.

Check out the top moments from the first Hard Knocks episode of the new NFL season. For those who weren't able to tune in, HBO will re-air the show's episodes Wednesdays at 11 p.m. ET.

J.J. Watt Leads Vocally—and by Example

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Watt has a knack for taking over football games with his incredible combination of athleticism and power. The superstar approaches his preparation with the same enthusiasm with which he plays on Sundays.

The first we see of Watt in Hard Knocks is a morning workout during which he flips a 1,000-pound tire, among other things. Yes, you read that correctly. Watt indicated that he flipped the tire 65 times in a single day this offseason.

ESPN's Cari Champion thought Watt's big role in Hard Knocks was key to the first episode's success:

Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel dug into his unit for an underwhelming training-camp showing, and Watt responded by taking the team aside and reinforcing the importance of stepping up its play.

But Watt can ultimately control only what he does. Instead of calling it a day after the lackluster practice, he went to the jugs machine later that evening to work on his hands, did individual drills, and ran up and down the field to work on his conditioning.

The Dan Le Batard Show reacted to Watt's Hard Knocks showcase:

The relentless spirit Watt plays with isn't a switch he turns on when the real games start. He appears to be like this all the time. 

Against Washington's first-round rookie offensive lineman Brandon Scherff in a one-on-one drill, Watt destroyed him. "He's a rookie," Watt said. "It doesn't count."

Everything seems to count deep down for Watt, though. The man doesn't appear to take one rep for granted—a mentality his teammates can hopefully adopt and apply to take the next step.

DeAndre Hopkins Flashing Signs of Legitimate No. 1 WR

Bob Levey/Associated Press

Longtime franchise cornerstone Andre Johnson fled Houston for AFC South rival Indianapolis this offseason. Hard Knocks ran a segment on the man who figures to take up Johnson's role as the go-to guy.

DeAndre Hopkins has all the makings of being a prolific wideout. The 2013 first-round pick out of Clemson will see a massive increase in targets without Johnson, but he must prove he can beat double-teams and make the best use of his exceptional ball skills.

One highlight showed Hopkins executing a stop-and-go route to perfection, diving to haul in a deep pass with his left hand in tight coverage.

And that was only in the team practice. Something more exciting was in store for the joint practice with Washington.

The New York Times' Brendan Prunty described the eventual exchange Hopkins engaged in:

Instead of backing down from veteran Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall's trash talk, Hopkins embraced it after he dropped a pass when he beat Chris Culliver on a route. Then, the Texans youngster got the ultimate revenge on Hall when he ran a route so crisply that Hall collapsed to the ground.

Star Texans running back Arian Foster recently underwent groin surgery. That may make Houston more reliant on the pass, even with uncertain commodities at QB, meaning Hopkins figures to be in for a monster 2015 campaign.

Tensions Boil over vs. Washington

Jason Hirschfeld/Associated Press

A brawl broke out between the Texans and the Redskins when the two teams went to full pads and partook in a heated scrimmage.

Washington receiver Pierre Garcon was a catalyst, constantly jawing with the Texans defenders. Jake Russell of the Washington Post provided some of the NSFW audio Garcon had for HBO's cameras:

Pro Football Talk's Zac Jackson provided Watt's hilarious response from the sidelines to Garcon's apparent threats:

"Every year in Indy, he's always talking," Texans linebacker Brian Cushing said of Garcon, per ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli.

Toward the conclusion of the episode, an all-out brawl ensued.

Even if this episode didn't delve too much into the football side of things and only briefly touched on the Hoyer-Mallett storyline, the melee within the final 10 minutes is worth waiting the whole hour to see. Watt on his own is engaging enough until then.

Lighter Moments and Overall Outlook

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

When rookies arrived to check in at the team hotel, some of their personal belongings were revealed, including defensive tackle Christian Covington's collection of Game of Thrones books. In case you haven't heard, the popular book and TV series is causing (friendly) tension in locker rooms across the league.

On the players' off day, Wilfork took to the basketball court and showed off some exceptional skills, threading the needle on a pass and draining several shots from three-point range. The big man is undeniably athletic for his size—part of what makes Houston's front seven so formidable on paper.

But the majority of the focus will inevitably center on the offense and whether it can be up to snuff without Foster for a prolonged period of time.

Should the Texans get passable QB play to start the year, they may be able to make the playoffs if Foster is healthy enough to carry the offense down the stretch.

It will be easier to tell where the Texans stand when they hit the field Saturday for their preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers. O'Brien spoke Tuesday about who will be running the show, per the Houston Chronicle:

"

Do not read too much into who's starting that game. Both guys are even. We're trying to be very fair. I think we are. I believe that both guys understand that, and both guys have had an equal amount of reps. We're looking for consistency regardless of who they're playing with. They're competitive guys. We have a lot of fun coaching them. They bring a lot of energy to the table. They're smart, they're good quarterbacks.

"

Most fanbases likely won't take much interest in Week 1 of the preseason, but Hoyer and Mallett will add intrigue by default.

Whoever starts under center Saturday has a golden opportunity but also probably less margin for error. The man who's No. 1 in the third preseason contest often gets the edge, and based on how much of a dead heat Hoyer and Mallett are in right now, it's feasible to presume they'll alternate starts in the next two games in some order.

Fans will gain some insight into the big impending decision the Texans have on their hands with Hoyer and Mallett if they tune in for the next episode of Hard Knocks.