‘Hard Knocks’ Episode 4: More Josh Gordon, Baker Mayfield’s big week and the Rookie Show

The fourth installment of “Hard Knocks” picks up on the return teased at the end of last week’s episode.

Josh Gordon is back with the Browns.

Or, as Hue Jackson puts it in John Dorsey’s office, “The fish is in the building.”

Cut to Gordon reviewing the playbook on his tablet at his stall in the team locker room. The NFL’s leading receiver in 2013 arrives at the conclusion, after his absence from the start of training camp, the schemes aren’t much different than what he already knew.

“They might as well let me practice today,” Gordon said.

Gordon’s featured again ahead of the Browns’ preseason game against the Eagles. He emerges from the tunnel as one fan shouts, “Welcome back, Flash!” from the stands. A pair of young boys clad in Browns orange have their day made when Gordon approaches them and gives them his gloves. FOX Sports’ Kristina Pink interviews Gordon during warmups, when he tells her his return is like coming back home before Pink asks what he learned from his time away from the team.

“Love yourself,” Gordon responds.

FACE OF THE FRANCHISE »

Baker Mayfield stars frontand-center in the Browns rookie show, but more on that later.

Mayfield’s first appearance features the 2018 No. 1 overall pick throwing passes in slow motion while he talks about the game beginning to slow down for him. Mayfield and Tyrod Taylor are featured in their pre-production meeting with Troy Aikman and the crew from FOX Sports that broadcasts the Browns’ preseason game against the Eagles. Aikman, a threetime Super Bowl champion quarterback for the Cowboys, asks the two quarterbacks about their roles as starter and backup. He asks Mayfield pointedly if he has trouble with the knowledge the Browns’ plan doesn’t entail him competing for the starting job.

“No,” Mayfield said. “I love winning. Human nature, yeah, you want to play but anything I can do to help this team and help win, that’s what I was brought here to do.”

Ahead of the Eagles game, while Mayfield warms up pregame, Aikman praises Mayfield.

“What I like is you just want to win,” Aikman tells Mayfield. “The John Dorsey thing, awesome.”

Mayfield shares, “He hated it.”

Mayfield takes the field against the Eagles while the team’s drum line plays. “Since when does the NFL have a drum line?” Mayfield asks his huddle. “We always do,” lineman Spencer Drango replies. “We don’t have cheerleaders.” After a lengthy pause, Mayfield responds, “Oh (expletive). All right.”

During the game, Mayfield takes a few hard hits courtesy of the Eagles’ pass rush and throws an interception. After the game, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz approaches Mayfield at midfield as players and coaches from each team shake hands.

“I never played, but if I did,” Schwartz says, “I’d hope I played like you. I like your stuff.”

WHAT IS TODD HALEY UP TO?

Being frustrated, mostly. During the victory over the Eagles in which the Browns’ offense is held scoreless, Haley screams at Jarvis Landry from the sideline for giving up on a route. Landry, fed up that officials aren’t throwing flags against the Eagles defensive backs, pulls up on a go route down the left sideline. The pass ultimately overthrown anyway, but that does little to ease Haley’s anger.

In the second half, undrafted free agent receiver Derrick Willies stops running on a go route. Later, in the second half when Landry’s pads are off, Haley explains his anger to the Browns’ star receiver.

“I’m not waiting for some, what do they call it?” Haley said. “Knight in shining armor. You’ve got to push these guys by doing it, over and over and over again.”

Haley walks away, then returns to reinforce his point to Landry about his status as a leader.

“If one of these young guys sees one time that you stop or don’t go all out, then that’s what the (expletive) they do,” Haley tells Landry. “I just see it over and over again. One of them’s got to elevate and help us. I’m sorry for yelling.”

WHAT IS BROGAN ROBACK

BRObie received the least amount of screen time compared to the previous three episodes, but it’s perhaps his most transcendent moment of the season. A week after Roback informed viewers “DMs are the power moves” of courtship and with the FOX Sports crew in town for the Browns’ third preseason game, he shows he can get the job done faceto-face, too.

“I had to go up in there and introduce myself to Erin Andrews,” Roback says as he throws warmup passes prior to the preaseason game against the Eagles. “I did it.”

A Browns staffer suggests the sideline reporter already knew who Roback was, which he confirms and says, “I was blown away.” With cuts looming next week, this is likely the peak of the fourth-string quarterback’s narrative arc this preseason. HOBBIES OF THE WEEK » Devon Cajuste draws energy from crystals. Carl Nassib believes in aliens. Myles Garrett has an appreciation for Al Green. DID JOHN DORSEY WEAR A

SWEATER? » John Dorsey’s sweater pulls double duty this week. Not only does the signature piece of apparel appear on the Browns’ general manager, it’s prominent in Mayfield’s parody video. WHO WON THE WEEK? » The Browns’ rookies.

Jackson introduces the Browns’ rookie show by asking the team if anyone needs underwear, then showing the picture of a shirtless Mayfield posing with a tiger and a Rolls-Royce to promote his underwear partnership.

The rookie show begins with the clip featuring Landry cursing out the receiver’s room in the first episode. It’s shown again with rookie Blake Jackson’s voice dubbed over Landry’s repeating “it’s contagious” over and over. The video cuts to players practicing with casts and walking boots on after Landry decried the “injuries” that kept his teammates out of practice.

Up next is Mayfield’s lampoon of Nassib’s financial advice. He reels off a list of information then, after a long pause, punctuates the diatribe with Nassib’s curse word of choice.

The video turns to the main event with Mayfield’s impression of Dorsey, capped by Mayfield shoveling bubble gum into his mouth.