'Hard Knocks' rewind: J.J. Watt tribute episode, David Blough is having fun

As the Arizona Cardinals' season rolls toward its end, so also does the career of defensive lineman J.J. Watt.

That was what stood out about Wednesday's "Hard Knocks" episode on HBO. Watt, in the lead-up to his second-to-last NFL game after announcing his retirement last week, was able to reflect on his career while still having some fun with teammates and dispensing career advice.

It was quintessential Watt, an intense and passionate future Hall of Famer with high expectations of himself as a player, who also has found a balance off the field.

The show starts in a press conference, where Watt opens with a self-deprecating approach as he downplays the "big announcement" of his retirement, which he made via social media.

"I want people to remember me for playing good ball, not for getting knocked on my a--," Watt said in a one-on-one interview.

Teammates and coaches congratulate him in practice. Then the funny tale of teammate Jesse Luketa sending Watt a voice memo on his phone from a dentist's office, where Luketa asks for a jersey from his teammate while drugged up from having wisdom teeth pulled, is revisited with laughter from all those who saw the video of Luketa.

As it turns out, Watt's last two games are in the last two stadiums he has yet to visit, and now Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium is off that list. The only one left is Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home of the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals play there this Sunday.

A few moments with the wise Vance Joseph, the Cardinals' defensive coordinator, are enough to make any father smile.

Then the show takes an in-depth look at second-year linebacker Zaven Collins, who has had a good season and who also likes the country look and sound. Collins drives a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, so he and fellow classic car enthusiast Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns would be good cruising partners.

Halfway through the episode, the look back on the decision to start David Blough at quarterback for the Atlanta game is documented. Blough makes an impression in a meeting with a card trick, and his time with the Detroit Lions which was part of the "Hard Knocks" training camp series with that team is revisited.

In the game highlights from Atlanta, Blough plays loose and seems to be having fun, knowing that such opportunities to be an NFL quarterback in a regular season game aren't a given and are rare.

Watt, Collins and Blough are the focal points of the game review.

A trainer asks Blough if he's "good" after a hard hit. Blough smiles and says "Always good. I'm a little dramatic, my wife says."

Head coach Kliff Kingsbury, wearing a microphone, yells "One time! One time! One time!" after the Cardinals take a 19-17 lead with less than five minutes to play, imploring his defense for a stop. It brings back memories of old NFL Films footage of former Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano saying the same thing on the sideline.

The Cardinals surrendered a field goal on the last play of the game and lost to the Falcons, and Watt apologized to the team in the locker room after a defensive offside penalty he took helped the Falcons sustain what would be the game winning drive.

"That's me. I'm sorry. That (expletive) sucks. You've got to be accountable, you've got to trust your teammates," Watt says. "I appreciate your effort. I appreciate your work. We've only got one more of these things, boys."

Get in touch with Jose Romero at Jose.Romero@gannett.com. Find him on Twitter at @RomeroJoseM. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals players David Blough, Zaven Collins featured in 'Hard Knocks'