Hard Knocks could be the death blow for a bad Steelers 2024 season

The NFL entertainment business changed when it was announced that Hard Knocks would be covering an entire division during this season of football. The Steelers and the NFL North will be featured in this first-ever segment during the final stretch of games this year.

For fans, this has garnered some excitement. Hard Knocks takes you inside of a team and sees the highs and lows of a roster. Typically shot during training camp, the show has recently begun to expand into the regular season. Covering an entire division is the next step in this entertainment juggernaut's path.

For fans of the Steelers, we get to see the team in a candid light that we have never seen before. As an impassioned fan, I am excited to peek behind the curtain and see the inner workings of this team. All things considered, Hard Knocks could be the final nail in Pittsburgh’s season.

Steelers will be facing a lot of adversity

Once this version of Hard Knocks kicks off, the Steelers will be in the midst of their toughest stretch of the season. It is no secret that the latter half of the year is the harder part of the schedule, so the show will be able to detail the team through these difficult games.

If everything is going smoothly, this could be a non-issue. The show will function as it was intended to be, a fun look at the team as they conquer adversity. This should make for an entertaining series and a rare look at the team behind the scenes.

If the wheels are coming off though, Hard Knocks can turn into a disaster. This team hasn’t handled bad stretches in recent years. Specifically, players have let the poor stretches get into their heads. This, in turn, leads to additional distractions and even more grievances from fans.

The quarterback room could be imploding. George Pickens, a player not known for his maturity, could add to the angst in the room. Players in the last years of their deal like Najee Harris could be looking towards the offseason and free agency as opposed to getting things back on track.

While teams go through this every year, it isn’t on public display for the fans to see. One bad episode featuring Pickens pouting or Russell Wilson grasping to the last shot in his career can set fans over the edge. The wheels can quickly come off, and it will be on display for the world to hear.

As a fan, I am looking forward to seeing the behind-the-scenes view of this team. On the other hand, if this team isn’t playing well, this show will serve only as an additional distraction. It seems like another blow to a team that already got dealt a bad hand with the schedule release.