Mike Tomlin Doesn't Want 'Hard Knocks' Cameras to Become Distraction for Steelers

This season will follow all four teams of the AFC North.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin stands on the sidelines. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

With the new season of HBO's Hard Knocks, which features the entire AFC North, dropping on Tuesday Dec. 3, the four teams in the division have dealt with camera crews following them all week.

It's quite the adjustment to start dealing with camera crews in the middle of the season.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn't want the cameras to become a distraction for his 8–3 team, especially as they still have four AFC North matchups left on the schedule. He has some solace knowing the other three teams—Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns—also have this obstacle to deal with.

"To me, it's something to conquer, to be quite honest with you. We have deal with it better than the other three teams. That's how I view a lot of things that come across my plate, particularly when others have to deal with it," Tomlin said Tuesday, via ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

"I'm less concerned about the inconvenience of it and more concerned about are we positioning ourselves to perform under those conditions better than those that we compete against, and so it's something that everyone in AFC North has to deal with, and so it's our agenda to do so better than the other three teams."

The Steelers will face the Bengals this Sunday, which will be the only AFC North matchup showcased in the first episode of Hard Knocks as the Browns and Ravens play non-divisional opponents.

Having cameras around is something the four AFC North teams will have to deal with as the season plans to premiere throughout the rest of the NFL season and into the playoffs. Right now, the Steelers and Ravens sit in the playoff picture, with the Bengals and Browns sitting outside of the top seven spots.

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