The debut episode of “Hard Knocks, In-Season: The AFC North” dropped on HBO Tuesday night, and it was worth the wait. The Steelers are featured prominently, and the star of the show is head coach Mike Tomlin.

Pittsburgh fans have been hearing Coach T’s “Tomlin-isms” for years now. The standard is the standard. Big windshield, small rearview mirror. We don’t live in our fears. Some fans celebrate these lines as the jewels that make Tomlin who he is — a master motivator whose ability to get the most out of his players has led to a culture of success and stability. Others see them as empty phrases that fail to stand up to a product on the field that hasn’t produced a playoff win since 2016.

No matter which camp you’re in, it’s hard to deny that Tomlin’s charisma, and his presence as a leader inside the Steelers’ facility, comes through loud and clear in “Hard Knocks.” The most riveting moments from the first episode involve his interactions with second-year linebacker Nick Herbig. At a meeting prior to last week’s Cincinnati game, Tomlin challenged Herbig in front of the entire team to produce against the Bengals’ Orlando Brown, a former All-Pro and still one of the best left tackles in the business. Tomlin followed up that challenge with daily reminders at practice, pumping up Herbig for the showdown with Brown.

“You and Zeus (Brown),” Tomlin told Herbig. “You know what I mean? Alex (Highsmith) had what, three-and-a-half, four sacks on them in two football games. They had to go shopping, that’s why Zeus is there. One on one on with Zeus, man, you’ve gotta kill him.”

Those words would prove prophetic. On Sunday, with the Steelers leading 34-24 early in the fourth quarter, Herbig beat Brown on a speed rush and swatted the football out of the hand of Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow. Steelers’ linebacker Payton Wilson scooped it up and ran it in for a score that effectively put the game out of reach. On the sideline following the play, Tomlin is shown in the “Hard Knocks” episode embracing Herbig and telling him, “I’m not gonna act surprised. That’s what you’re brought here to do. This ain’t no lightning strike. You’re built for this.”

For a look at the entire scene, check out the video below:

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

Herbig’s sack didn’t occur simply because Tomlin challenged him to do it. It came because he’s a skilled pass rusher who pays attention to his craft. On the play before the sack, Herbig beat Brown wide but wasn’t able to bend the corner quickly enough to get to Burrow before he released his throw. So, on the following snap, he made a slight adjustment that trimmed just enough time off of his rush to reach Burrow. In the video below, I explain that adjustment and how it helped create one of the most pivotal plays of the game:

The debut of “Hard Knocks” on the AFC North has generated a lot of talk today about the Nick Herbig strip-sack of Joe Burrow from the Bengals game. Mike Tomlin’s motivation may have manifested the sack, but Herbig produced it by paying attention to his craft. Here’s how: pic.twitter.com/AodoluMfhX

— Kevin Smith (@KTSmithFFSN) December 4, 2024

For a deeper take on Tomlin’s presence in “Hard Knocks,” and on what he means as both a motivator and role model to so many of the Steelers’ who have played for him, check out the latest episode of my “Call Sheet” podcast in the player below.

Follow me on Twitter @KTSmithFFSN.