The Steelers face AFC North opponents in the spotlight as Hard Knocks cameras capture the division race

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team in the AFC North that has never been featured on Hard Knocks. So their loss to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night served as a proper introduction to the behind-the-scenes spectacle caught on camera by HBO and NFL films.

Blowing a late lead in a blizzard was a spoilsport for the Steelers, but it provided the perfect set-up for “Hard Knocks: In Season with the AFC North,” premiering Dec. 3 on HBO.

“It’s painful, but that’s life in this business,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of the 24-19 loss to the Browns. “We’ll watch the tape and learn from it. Man, we’re in the thick of AFC North action, so no rest for the weary. We have a big thing coming.”

When the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs in late December 2019, a dejected Tomlin brought some levity to a postseason press conference with his response to a question about whether the Steelers would participate in “Hard Knocks” in the following training camp.

“Asked?” Tomlin said, tilting his head and grinning broadly and laughing.

The moment of lightness #Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin’s final press conference thanks to a @JColony13 Question and @tribjoerutter Follow up about #HardKnocks. pic.twitter.com/E8zRmcoY0O

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) December 31, 2019

This time, “Hard Knocks” aims to showcase a division that made NFL history last season when the Baltimore Ravens (13-4), Cleveland Browns (11-6), Steelers (10-7) and Cincinnati Bengals (9- 8) played ) all had winning records.

“Last season, the AFC North was the first league ever in which all four teams had a winning record. “That makes it the perfect place to introduce this new approach to Hard Knocks,” NFL Films Vice President and Head of Content Keith Cossrow said in June. “We thank the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers for the opportunity to showcase some of the greatest rivalries in football and showcase the intensity of a playoff chase from all four corners of this incredibly competitive division.”

For the first time, Hard Knocks takes you behind the scenes of the AFC North playoff chase.

The HBO original series #HardKnocks In the season with the #AFCNorthfeaturing the Ravens, Bengals, Browns and Steelers, premiering December 3rd on Max. pic.twitter.com/Id3UA1Z4oY

– Max (@StreamOnMax) November 19, 2024

An NFL Films crew was present at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side and had cameras at the Steelers-Browns game at Huntington Bank Field, which turned into a whiteout in the second half.

The Steelers (8-3) have no shortage of storylines.

Tomlin, who has never had a losing season, received a three-year contract extension last June. Their defense features one of the best pass rushers in the NFL: outside linebacker TJ Watt. They hired a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith and added two quarterbacks with starting experience in 25-year-old Justin Fields, who started the first six games, and 35-year-old Russell Wilson, who started the last five games.

They have beaten the likes of the Atlanta Falcons (6-5), Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) and Washington Commanders (7-5), but against the Indianapolis Colts (5-7) and Dallas Cowboys (4- 7) lost. and the Browns (3-8). After not playing an AFC North game until November 17th, the Steelers are currently playing four straight division games. They beat Baltimore 19-18 before losing to the Browns.

“I love this football team,” Wilson said. “These are the right people, the right energy. That is the correct answer. We are disappointed, but we are not discouraged. We don’t shy away from that. We will react correctly.”

Now the Steelers will be tested on how they handle their major league loss. They visit the Bengals on Sunday and then play the Browns on December 8th at Acrisure Stadium. The schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Steelers play the Philadelphia Eagles, the Ravens in Week 16, host the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day and face the Bengals in the season finale.

The Steelers must do this under the added pressure of cameras from HBO and NFL Films, which give viewers glimpses of footage from the locker room and in meetings, on the field during practice and on the sidelines during games as they prepare make their way to the postseason.

“Listen, it’s ball. “I’ve experienced a lot of ball in my life,” Wilson said. “It’s not necessarily because of the division. It’s the moment. It is our team that we have here. I think the most important thing is that we focus on each other. The great thing about us is that we won’t change.

“We will not change our thought process and the way we work. We work as hard as anyone in the National Football League can work. I think we’re doing that extremely well. We have great leadership. We have great people. We have great competitors. And we don’t blink in the middle of the moments. I think this is a new, great story to tell. We’re looking forward to that.”