Three things we're looking forward to on this season of HBO's 'Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills'

Below, we examine three things we're most interested in seeing when the docuseries premieres this summer.

Mood after another playoff loss | The NFL relaxed its rules for who's eligible for "Hard Knocks" in April, scrapping the previous stipulation that kept teams who had made the playoffs in either (or both) of the two seasons preceding the training camp documentary series from being considered.

That allowed Buffalo, which has made the playoffs in six consecutive seasons and seven of the past eight, to be granted a turn in the preseason spotlight.

It will be interesting to see what the mood is like at Orchard Park after another season — the fourth in five years — ended with a playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Since 2019, only the Chiefs have a better regular season record (78-22) than the Bills (71-28). Kansas City has three Super Bowl wins to show for its remarkable run, while Buffalo has yet to get over the hump.

The number of playoff heartbreaks the Bills have endured in recent years could be dispiriting. We'll get an early look at how much fight they have left.

Sean McDermott's motivational speeches | We hope McDermott, entering his ninth season as Bills head coach, has improved in delivering messages to his team from 2019, when an ill-conceived speech would later cause a media firestorm.

As reported in 2023 in a three-part Go Long TD series from Tyler Dunne, McDermott once attempted to stress the importance of communication by using the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack plane hijackers as an example.

McDermott addressed the incident after it surfaced, telling reporters he apologized to the team at the time for the poorly conveyed message.

McDermott has likely fine-tuned his motivational tactics in the years since, although old habits die hard. We can't put it past him to miss the mark again.

Wide receiver competition | The Bills had a difficult time replacing former No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who they traded to the Texans last April, in 2024. Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman enter the offseason as the top two receivers on Buffalo's unofficial depth chart and flashed potential last year, although both must take leaps if they want to become a legitimate WR1.

Shakir led the Bills with 821 receiving yards last year but averaged a career-low 10.8 yards per reception. Meanwhile, Coleman averaged an impressive 19.2 yards per catch, gaining 556 yards on 29 receptions, but vanished in the playoffs, catching three of eight targets for 22 yards in three postseason games.

Buffalo added Joshua Palmer and Elijah Moore in free agency, but neither is likely to become the focal point of the team's passing attack. One of the biggest stories in Bills camp will be who emerges as the leader at wideout, if someone does at all.