With Hard Knocks looming, Steelers enter hard knocks portion of schedule

When the NFL released its schedule in May, one quirk that stood out related to the scheduling of Pittsburgh's divisional games. The first of six wasn't set until Week 11.

Week 11 is here, and the Steelers are 7-2 as they embark on a stretch run that includes the Ravens twice, the Bengals twice, the Browns twice, the Eagles, and the Chiefs.

The decision to defer the divisional games made a little more sense when the league announced in June that this year's in-season Hard Knocks will feature all four AFC North teams. It debuts later than ever this year — the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. And it potentially will last longer than ever, since it will keep going until the last AFC North team is eliminated.

The decision to expand to four teams represents a concession that, for the team featured on in-season Hard Knocks, it's a competitive disadvantage. So they equalized it by making it encompass an entire division.

There's still a flaw. While the four teams in the division are competing for one division title, three wild-card berths are on the line. They're competing with teams from other divisions who aren't subject to the Hard Knocks distraction.

Still, the league is willing to do it in order to feed what has become an ever-growing Hard Knocks beast, with preseason not supplemented with in-season and offseason.