jj watt houston texans

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Houston Texans defensive lineman JJ Watt told PFT that he picked up Miami's snap count by watching "Hard Knocks."

It's a small thing, but it pays big dividends รข€" Watt had 1.5 sacks in a 30-10 rout of Miami.

For a long time, the biggest reasons not to do "Hard Knocks" had to do with abstract things like the cameras being a "distraction" and the atmosphere around the team devolving into a "carnival."

But this Watt revelation is something very different. It's tangible proof that giving HBO intimate access to your team can hurt you on the field.

Everyone loves "Hard Knocks," but it's unclear what a team gains by going on it, especially when you can potentially leak vital bits of strategy.