Reactions to AFC North In Season Hard Knocks: Joe Burrow becomes Batman, Mike Tomlin calls his shot in episode one
HBO's first-ever "In Season Hard Knocks" has arrived, and episode one chronicling the AFC North showed us plenty of behind-the-scenes content from the NFL's iconic hard-nosed division. We had an inspiring meeting-room speech in Cleveland, John Harbaugh being amazed at his MVP quarterback in Baltimore, a Thanksgiving feast in Pittsburgh, and even a bombshell purchase for […]
HBO's first-ever "In Season Hard Knocks" has arrived, and episode one chronicling the AFC North showed us plenty of behind-the-scenes content from the NFL's iconic hard-nosed division.
We had an inspiring meeting-room speech in Cleveland, John Harbaugh being amazed at his MVP quarterback in Baltimore, a Thanksgiving feast in Pittsburgh, and even a bombshell purchase for Cincinnati's star passer.
We've gathered our takeaways from all corners of the division thanks to our AFC North beat writers. Here's what stood out to us from the season premiere.
Joe Burrow is vengeance. Joe Burrow is the night. Joe Burrow is…
"This son of a b***h is dangerous," is what Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said about Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during film study last week. Little did he know Burrow will soon become more dangerous in a year when his Batmobile arrives. Burrow told his wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins that he purchased one of the limited functioning vehicles from Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. This prompted a fun moment between the three talking about dressing up as the Caped Crusader and getting lost in the club donning the Bat's cape.
It makes one sad to think Higgins is likely out the door next year and Chase's future hangs in the balance as well. These three have been the pillars of Bengals football for years now. Cherish these moments while you still can. — A to Z Sports' John Sheeran
Jameis Winston gives the Browns the most interesting character of this series
The start of this series couldn’t have come at a better time. At 3-9 on the season, there has been a ton of ugly for the Cleveland Browns. Hard Knocks begins for the Browns with their best win of the season over the Steelers, with their best player Myles Garrett leading them to that. Jameis Winston dapping up members of the ground’s crew the following week at practice for their work on the field during the snowy game was such a Winston thing to do. Winston is going to be a thrill to watch throughout just because of the kind of character that he is anytime that a camera is on him.
We got to see assistant offensive line coach Roy Istvan give a fiery speech about protecting the quarterback, which was pretty cool because we never really get to hear much from assistant position coaches. Cleveland didn’t get a ton of air time on the first episode and that was no surprise since they’re in the basement of the AFC North.
The episode closing off with Jordan Hicks giving a pregame speech before taking the field against the Broncos should foreshadow a pretty interesting second episode. Cleveland and Denver had one of the wildest battles you’ll see on Monday, soon we will get to see some behind-the-scenes from it. — A to Z Sports' Brandon Little
Ravens' Lamar Jackson pays respect to his MVP challenger
The Baltimore Ravens didn’t have a ton of screen time, but Lamar Jackson did have a piece of the pie that was intriguing. Jackson got a moment to rave about Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley. In particular, he was impressed by the RB's “backwards hurdle” against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The move caught social media by storm and even forced Madden NFL 25 to make a change to their game’s physics—for good reason.
Baltimore fell to Barkley’s birds in Week 13, though, so his praise may actually leave a bit of a bad taste in Jackson’s mouth now. All that being said, Ravens fans will probably be hopeful for more action regarding their favorite team in next week’s episode. — A to Z Sports' Adam Holt
Mike Tomlin challenging Nick Herbig pays off for the Steelers
The first episode featured Mike Tomlin as the star for the Steelers. If you listen to his press conferences you already know how passionate he is for ball, and for his players. But the behind the scenes look that HBO gives brings a whole new understanding to the relationship he has with his team and the game of football.
Whether it was him breaking down Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow, welcoming players into his home on Thanksgiving, or challenging Nick Herbig all week, only to see him call his strip sack as it happened. Tomlin’s enthusiasm was omnipresent. As he said on Tuesday when asked about burnout, football isn’t a job or a hobby, it’s his love, and that came through in episode one. — A to Z Sports' Rob Gregson
Mike Tomlin won’t ‘feed the beast’ when asked about potential discipline of Steelers WR George Pickens
He’s been there and done that.
