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Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer
New York Giants defensive end Jihad Ward expressed his disapproval of how his interaction with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was portrayed on the television show “Hard Knocks.” According to Ward, his actions were driven by his disgust with an illegal block by Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb that resulted in a concussion for Giants safety Bobby McCain, as well as the Jets’ overall response to the situation.
In an episode of “Hard Knocks,” the Jets players were shown laughing in the huddle after Rodgers called out Cobb for the blindside block.
Ward commented, “Everyone was upset about that. The whole team was angry, you know what I mean? It’s preseason and all, and you’re going to react like that?” He added, “It’s fine, though. That’s how they operate. We’ll play them soon, whatever.”
This incident sets the stage for the renewal of the crosstown rivalry. The intensity hasn’t been the same since Rex Ryan and the Jets attempted to dominate the city over a decade ago.
The Giants and Jets will face each other again on October 29 at MetLife Stadium. The Jets, who have received significant preseason hype, will be up against the Giants, who made the playoffs last season but have flown under the radar locally this summer.
Ward stated, “They know what they did. I know what [Cobb] did, coaches know what he did, my teammates know what he did. I’m the only one standing up for [McCain].”
McCain is currently in the concussion protocol.
Ward chose to speak up on Wednesday afternoon after practice. Following Friday night’s preseason game, he politely declined to provide details about his interactions with Rodgers. He wanted to hear what Rodgers had to say first.
Rodgers mentioned, “I kind of bumped him too. Wait for ‘Hard Knocks.'” Rodgers was referring to their exchange of words during the first quarter after the Cobb block. They confronted each other again after Rodgers threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson on the next play.
“Hard Knocks” on Tuesday night featured clips of Rodgers telling Ward that he didn’t even know who he was. After the touchdown pass, Rodgers yelled, among other things, “Don’t poke the bear!”
Ward has been in the league for eight seasons and played a significant role last season when the Giants defeated Rodgers and his former team, the Green Bay Packers, in London. He didn’t appreciate how the scene was edited for the TV show.
He explained, “See, here’s the thing. They’re here to entertain. They’re going to show his part — it’s HBO, ‘Hard Knocks,’ all that stuff. They’re going to show his part. They weren’t even present for the whole scenario and what really happened. They’re going to show his side of the story. … It’s all about Aaron Rodgers at the [end] of the day. They signed him, it is what it is. They’re going to show his part and make me look like a fool. But I won’t stand for that.”
So what’s Ward’s version of events?
He stated, “My version of events is that I won’t allow any of my teammates to be pushed around like that. I will defend my teammates.”
On “Hard Knocks,” Rodgers was seen reprimanding Cobb for the illegal block that sent McCain flying and resulted in a 15-yard penalty for the Jets. Rodgers immediately recognized it as a bad move.
Rodgers said, “I couldn’t believe it. I’ve known Randall Cobb forever. We talk about being smart players and making smart decisions on the field. I don’t know what happened there. I was watching it in slow motion like, ‘No, no, no Cobby, what are you doing?'” He added, “We were laughing because it wasn’t a penalty when we started playing. It has been a penalty for a while. So, not the smartest play.
“I told him, ‘Bro, you’ve got another kid on the way. You just lost money. You’ll have to get [your wife] Aiyda something nice for that.'”
Cobb’s wife Aiyda was seen on “Hard Knocks” informing their two young children that their father would likely be fined for his actions on the play. Cobb is expected to find out the amount of the fine later in the week.
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