The first episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks: In Season” on the AFC North lived up to the hype with insights into how the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are navigating the final stretch of the 2024 NFL season.
The good stuff is the banter between teammates and coaches. HBO captured Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow telling wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase that he bought the Batmobile.
As expected, the breakout star was Mike Tomlin. The Steelers head coach might absolutely hate wearing a microphone and having cameras follow him around, but pulling back the curtain on the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach has already been fascinating.
Tomlin’s methods are on full display in the season premiere. One scene shows him pulling aside George Pickens to give him words of encouragement after the receiver fell down on Cincinnati’s touchdown interception return.
Says Tomlin: “It ain’t gonna decide the outcome of the game. Look at me, you a’ight? All right, let’s go.”
Mike Tomlin to George Pickens After The Pick Six vs Cincinatti:
“Hey bro, it can’t define us today. I need you to stay with me. Hey this shit ain’t gonna decide the outcome of the game. It ain’t gonna decide the outcome of the game. Look at me, you aight? Alright, let’s go.”… pic.twitter.com/UjN3iDWcsq
— Dylan🔮🪼🦃🍂 (@dillybar2145__) December 4, 2024
The best Tomlin moment was his prediction that linebacker Nick Herbig would beat Bengals tackle Orlando “Zeus” Brown for a sack.
During the week, Tomlin identified Herbig’s matchup as a key part of the game plan. “One-on-one on Zeus, man. You got to kill him,” Tomlin tells the 2023 fourth-round pick from Wisconsin.
Herbig came through early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 44-38 win in Cincinnati. His sack of Burrow forced a fumble, which linebacker Payton Wilson recovered for a 21-yard scoop-and-score TD and a 41-24 Steelers lead.
“I love it when a plan comes together,” Tomlin says on the sideline. “It feels good, don’t it?”
“Hey, I’m not gonna act surprised,” Tomlin tells Herbig while giving him a hug. “That’s what you were brought here to do. Let’s not act surprised. This ain’t a lightning strike, man. You’re built for this! You’re built for this!”
Preparation. And Mike Tomlin calls Nick Herbig’s strip sack vs Bengals. Beautiful. #Steelers #HardKnocks pic.twitter.com/6XpudRzRh0
— David Todd (@DavidMTodd) December 4, 2024
Over his 18 seasons leading Pittsburgh, Tomlin has crafted a tough-guy persona, keeping his inner-most thoughts to himself and refusing to feed the media machine. “Hard Knocks” is tearing down that veneer just one episode in.
