For the first time in the history of “Hard Knocks,” the acclaimed docuseries will feature an entire division and follow teams throughout the NFL playoffs.
“Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North” debuts tonight at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max. It’s easy to see why “Hard Knocks” honed in on the AFC North, as it’s one of the NFL’s most competitive divisions.
Examining the AFC North Standings and Playoff Picture
The weather’s getting cold in the Midwest, but the AFC North playoff race is heating up.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are battling for the division crown. Both teams are virtual locks to make the playoffs, but who does PFN’s Playoff Predictor project to win the division?
Our model currently gives the Steelers (65.6% odds) the edge over the Ravens (34.2%).
Pittsburgh got a big boost and gained a full game on Baltimore by beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13, while the Ravens lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. With a 1.5-game lead over the Ravens, even if Pittsburgh loses the rematch to Baltimore in Week 16, Mike Tomlin’s team controls its own destiny for the division if it can sweep the other four games.
However, Pittsburgh has the NFL’s eighth-hardest remaining schedule (vs. Browns, at Eagles, at Ravens, vs. Chiefs, vs. Bengals). Meanwhile, the Ravens have the 12th-easiest remaining schedule (BYE, at Giants, vs. Steelers, at Texans, vs. Browns).
A brand new era of Hard Knocks starts tonight.#HardKnocks In Season with the AFC North premieres Tuesday at 9pm ET on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/yULQaBGlgL
— NFL (@NFL) December 3, 2024
For the Bengals, it’s Wild Card or bust. But even that may be a stretch, as they enter Week 14 with just a 4.6% chance of making the playoffs, according to PFN’s simulator.
One thing working against the Bengals is that they’re the only AFC team still in the playoff hunt with six conference losses. The teams currently in the three Wild Card spots — the Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos — have four, three, and four, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns are better than their 3-9 record indicates, as they have looked like a different team since Jameis Winston took over for Deshaun Watson as the team’s starting quarterback. Cleveland’s playoff hopes are basically non-existent, but they are playing the role of spoiler with recent wins against both the Steelers and Ravens.
The Browns also have a 5.9% chance of ending up with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which could make for an interesting storyline on the show.
The AFC North was selected by the “Hard Knocks” decision-makers because the division was so competitive last season.
“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,'” NFL Films VP and Head of Content Keith Cossrow said.
“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.”
This marks the first time that the Steelers will be featured on “Hard Knocks” in the history of the series. The Ravens (2001), Bengals (2009 and 2013), and Browns (2018) have all appeared on the show in past years.
Latest AFC North Standings
- Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
- Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)
- Cleveland Browns (3-9)