Dallas Cowboys: 3 takeaways from the second episode of Hard Knocks

Last week, the first episode of HBO’s Hard Knocks featuring the Dallas Cowboys finally arrived. The season premiere was well worth the wait, providing an up-close and personal look at this year’s Cowboys team along with its fair share of viral moments.

One of my favorite things about Hard Knocks, regardless of which team they feature in a given year, is the commitment to show viewers all sides of life in an NFL training camp. Instead of just focusing on the Xs and Os, Hard Knocks loves to show you the people under the pads. Sure some moments can feel a bit more genuine (in some cases a lot more) than others, but they’re all still a blast to see unfold.

Last week, I broke down a few moments from the show’s first episode that I thought were particularly entertaining. This week, I am excited to come back with three more fun takeaways from the seasons’ second episode.

1.Ben DiNucci’s style needs some work…along with everything else

In 2020 the Dallas Cowboys selected Ben DiNucci from James Madison with their seventh-round pick. Following a rash of injuries and with few available options, the Cowboys started him against the Philadelphia Eagles last November. The results?

Well, DiNucci looked every bit like the seventh-round pick he was. The then-rookie signal-caller struggled, going 21-40 for 180 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and two fumbles lost in a 23-9 Cowboys loss.

DiNucci didn’t see another snap for the rest of the year. It was definitely a rough start and he is now hoping to turn the page and make a better impression during this preseason.

This week’s episode had a pretty fun moment early on when offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and quarterback Dak Prescott began imploring DiNucci to pick up his style game. The second-year quarterback replied by telling them that: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”

DiNucci has a lot more to pick up than just his style. So far this camp “The Nooch” hasn’t quite improved on last season’s poor showing in Philadelphia. Maybe he’s not broke, but he certainly could use some fixing.

To date, he’s a combined 13-31 for 135 yards, one touchdown, and one interception through the first two preseason games. To his credit though, he did throw the Cowboys’ lone preseason touchdown so far.