"Horrific job!" - Chris Russo slams Josh Allen's Bills debut on 'Hard Knocks' with Stephen A. Smith joining mockfest

"Horrific job!" - Chris Russo slams Josh Allen
Chris Russo slams Josh Allen's Bills debut on 'Hard Knocks' with Stephen A. Smith joining mockfest (Credits: IMAGN)

Chris Russo didn't hold back when sharing his first impression of the offseason edition of HBO's "Hard Knocks," which follows the Buffalo Bills during their 2025 training camp.

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On Wednesday's edition of the "What are you mad about?" segment on ESPN's "First Take," Russo went off on how NFL Films and HBO refused to take fans through the 2024 AFC championship game between the Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bills couldn't move past Patrick Mahomes again, suffering a fourth loss against the three-time Super Bowl champion.

“The nation has not seen the Buffalo Bills since that play, January 25th at Arrowhead, when they lost to the Chiefs," Russo said. "Not the first, second, third, for the fourth time in the playoffs. This is the AFC championship game."
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More specifically, he talked about Dalton Kincaid making costly mistakes, which the show didn't acknowledge either. Russo said this was the best time to give fans closure regarding that game instead of making them wait until late August, when the league is about to start, to relive the moment.

“So, you got HBO, this is the first show of the episode," Russo said. "I don’t want to see it late August. I want to see it now. This is a first time I get a look at the Bills this year. I got to see somebody, (offensive lineman Conor) McDermott, Josh Allen, what happened at the fourth-and-1 sneak? Did you not sleep for two weeks? Dalton Kincaid, you dropped the pass. That’s lousy TV.
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"I’m a sports fan. You want me to watch the Bills on August 5th? You got to at least close what happened last year. A horrific job. I’m not the only person who thinks this. Ask the tough question on fourth-and-1.”
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Stephen A. Smith agreed with Russo, wondering if the show had changed its approach without notice:

"Is it 'Soft Knocks,' 'Hard Knocks'?"

Chris Russo also criticized the New York Giants' "Hard Knocks" last season

Over a year ago, Chris Russo also took issue with another New York team featured in "Hard Knocks." Russo didn't like the New York Giants having editorial control in the cutting room, which took away the main purpose of the behind-the-scenes docuseries.

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"You cannot allow the Giants to have editorial control," Russo said on July 3, 2024. "They want to see it, they want to raise grief, they want to talk to Roger Goodell about it. If you allow cameras in your locker room or in your front offices to show and chronicle the offseason, you gotta let it go."

Giants general manager Joe Schoen revealed the team had editorial control during an event. The decision didn't sit well with Russo, who went after the Bills this year.

Chiefs Fans! Check out the latest Kansas City Chiefs Schedule and dive into the Chiefs Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos
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