The NFL is looking to capitalize on the star power of one of its toughest divisions with “Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North.”
The AFC North has some of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks, including two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson.
The division—consisting of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers—also features several other of the league’s best players, such as running back Derrick Henry, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, defensive end Myles Garrett, and linebacker TJ Watt.
Now, the NFL is looking to capitalize on this star power by chronicling the entire division with “
Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North,” debuting Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 9 p.m. EST/PST on HBO and available to stream on Max.
The episodes feature all of the AFC North teams and will premiere on subsequent Tuesdays through the end of the NFL regular season and continue through the NFL playoffs in January 2025. The series will document the battle for the AFC North championship during the final six weeks of the NFL season and a playoff run for the division-winner and any AFC North Wild Card teams.
The AFC North was the best division in the NFL last season, with every team
finishing at .500 or above, and it could be even more competitive this year.
“Last season the AFC North became the first division ever to have all four teams finish with a winning record, making it the perfect place to launch this new approach to ‘Hard Knocks,’” Keith Cossrow, vice president and head of content at NFL Films, said in a statement.
“We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and present the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division,” he added.
The Ravens are no strangers to “Hard Knocks” and were already featured in the original
training camp series in 2001. The Bengals appeared on the series in the summer show in 2009 and 2013, and the Browns were shown in 2018. The Steelers will make their debut appearance this season.
Baltimore is the defending AFC North champion and had the league’s
best record at 13–4. The Ravens advanced to the conference championship game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 17–10.
The Ravens added more firepower to their offense with the addition of
Henry, a four-time Pro Bowler who spent the eight years of his career with the Tennessee Titans. The one-two punch of Henry and Jackson will have defensive coordinators scrambling for ways to contain the two dynamic players.
Last season,
Jackson won his second MVP award since being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He threw for
3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns, with career highs in completion percentage (67.2) and yards per completion (8) over 16 regular-season games. He also led the Ravens with 821 yards rushing, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and five scores.
Baltimore coach John Harbaugh is looking to get back to his second Super Bowl after winning the title in 2012–13.
The Steelers are also intriguing with the addition of
Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler, and Justin Fields, the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Pittsburgh also added former Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen, which will add even more spice to their already heated rivalry.
Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season in his 17 years as the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He recently signed a
three-year extension to keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2027 season. Tomlin has led the Steelers to seven AFC North titles, most recently in 2020, and 11 playoff berths. He has also guided Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl (XLIII and XLV) appearances.
The
Bengals, who advanced to the Super Bowl in 2022, also have several intriguing storylines.
Burrow is healthy after sustaining a wrist injury against the Ravens in November and missed the final seven games of the season. Without Burrow in the lineup, the Bengals finished 9–8 and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The Bengals are poised to make a run at a division title this year. In addition to a healthy Burrow, Cincinnati added
several key free agents, including defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, tight end Mike Gesicki, running back Zack Moss, and safeties Geno Stone and Vonn Bell.
“We don’t think—we know—this is the best division in football,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor
said in a statement. “I understand why it’s an attractive pick for Hard Knocks and it’s an honor to be part of a division that people think so highly of. We have an exciting team with a lot of really talented players and good team guys. They are players that the league is excited about, so this exposure is a positive.”
The
Cleveland Browns will also challenge for a division title with return quarterback Deshaun Watson, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against the Ravens on Nov. 12. Cleveland added wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, who has a huge upside despite underachieving in Denver. Fellow wideout Amari Cooper, who caught 72 passes for 1,250 yards last season, is also in the mix.
Like the Ravens, Cleveland will have a
high-powered rushing attack with running back Nick Chubb, who has run for more than 1,000 yards in four of the past five seasons. Cleveland also has a couple of former Ravens on the roster: outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, returner/wide receiver James Proche, and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley.
Cleveland has never won an AFC North title.
With all that talent, the AFC could be the best division in the NFL, and the battle for the crown could come down to the season’s final games.
“Hard Knocks” will also be covering the NFL offseason with “Hard Knocks: Offseason With the New York Giants,“ debuting Tuesday, July 2, and will feature the Chicago Bears on the long-running training camp edition of the show, “Hard Knocks: Training Camp With the Chicago Bears,” debuting Tuesday, Aug. 6.
The expansion of the series means that “Hard Knocks” will cover the NFL’s offseason, training camp, regular season, and playoffs.
“We are ecstatic to expand the ‘Hard Knocks’ universe with our partners at NFL Films to the always thrilling AFC North division race,” said Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller, co-executive vice presidents of HBO Documentary and Family Programming, and Bentley Weiner, vice president of HBO Sports Documentaries, in a statement.
“In 2024, ‘Hard Knocks’ will feature the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and the Chicago Bears. What a year it will be on HBO and Max for football fans everywhere,” they added.
