HBO Sports has a new spin on its HARD KNOCKS franchise. The latest iteration has had the HBO/NFL cameras focusing on one team as they play their assigned schedule for the IN SEASON format. How far can that chosen team fight their way to the goalposts on their hunt for a Superbowl spot? The camera then stays with that chosen team until they fall out of contention. Past teams scrutinized in this format have been the Indianapolis Colts (2021), the Arizona Cardinals (2022) and the Miami Dolphins (2023). But for 2024 they change it up in a big way.
This time around the series is not chronicling just one team during mid-season play but an entire division as it it focuses on the AFC North. It follows the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Note that the last team listed has never been a part of any HARD KNOCKS format, so it will be interesting to see them included. Also with the series focusing on a division, it is a guarantee that the IN SEASON show will see Playoff action and maybe right up to SuperBowl play.
HARD KNOCKS IN SEASON WITH THE AFC NORTH has now played its first installment on Tuesday, December 03, and will continue each Tuesday through the end of the NFL regular season and continue into the NFL playoffs in January 2025. The opening moments of the first installment show each head coach pumping up their teams for the week ahead. They are Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor, Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin, and Raven Head Coach John Harbaugh. They rally us all for what is ahead. The game that gets the most attention is the Steelers/Bengals game, which the Steelers clinch keeping them at the top. But we also get to see a bit of the Ravens taking on the Eagles. They do not fare as well. I admit I might be partial ( I live in Steeler Nation) but no one plays the game as tough and gritty as the AFC North – win or lose. These teams and their star players are exciting to watch and HARD KNOCKS has made a smart move in spotlighting this NFL division.
