In their last game of the regular season, the Ravens’ offense had just one touchdown to go with a punt and three turnovers on downs in the first half. That’s about as slow a start as the most recent episode of “Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North.”

As the cameras followed the four teams through the week, they gathered a whole bunch of film and very little substance (or, perhaps, all the best stuff was edited out).

A lot of the early highlights featured teams other than the Ravens, like the pictures of Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett as a high schooler and the clip of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick complaining about how much he doesn’t like wide receivers. The Ravens entertainment was in the small details in practices in meetings.

And then, just like how the Ravens picked up momentum in the fourth quarter, Baltimore’s part of the episode turned into a show.

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Here’s what to look out for if you haven’t watched it yet or to go back and look for if you watched it through.

Most touching moment

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At one point in the Ravens-Browns game, rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten goes up to Garrett, a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, and humbles himself to ask for his jersey. It’s a big ask anyways, with some teams charging players over $1,000 if they give away their jersey.

“I know I’m a nobody, but if could I get that jersey after?” Rosengarten asks.

“Hey,” Garrett tells him. “You’re in this f---ing league. Y’all winning games. Y’all looking great. You ain’t never a nobody.”

“I got you,” Garrett finishes.

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“You got me?” Rosengarten responds.

The show didn’t circle back to capture the swap, but Ravens beat reporters will most likely circle back in the locker room this week.

Hardest moment

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (4) clutches his knee on the ground after making a completion during a game against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
Zay Flowers (4) clutches his knee on the ground after making a catch against the Browns. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

One of the top storylines this week is whether Pro Bowl receiver Zay Flowers will recover from his knee injury in time for the wild-card round game against the Steelers. Everyone knew he got injured, and many saw it happen.

However, “Hard Knocks” had a mic on Flowers, and you could hear the pain in his voice as he writhed on the ground. They eventually cut off the sound, but it was extremely hard to watch. Add in coach John Harbaugh’s and Lamar Jackson’s reactions, as well as the footage of him on crutches in the locker room, and the storyline is amplified heading into Saturday, now that we saw just how bad it looked.

Funniest quote

Derrick Henry (22) forces his way into the end zone for a touchdown against the Browns. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

Running back Derrick Henry turned 31 on Saturday. His present was that he made history.

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With his touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, Henry passed Jamal Lewis as the single-season rushing touchdown leader in Ravens history with 15.

As the offense celebrated around him, Jackson ran up and hollered “ON YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!”

It’s one of those things you have to hear for yourself.

Henry added another score later in the quarter to make it 16 touchdowns for the year.

Most disappointing exchange

Joe Burrow sat down with Cam Newton, and the two discussed the Bengals quarterback’s fashion choices, from the frosted tips to his hat game.

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For such a flashy dresser, Burrow had extremely bland answers.

Fascinating fact

Tight end Mark Andrews (89) celebrates after catching a pass against the Browns. (Ulysses Muñoz/The Baltimore Banner)

This episode dove into Mark Andrews’ Type 1 diabetes. It’s a well-documented topic, but it was very interesting to go behind the scenes with him throughout practices and the game.

Even people within the building did not realize the extent it affects his life, as a Ravens staff member (who had his back to the camera) asked Andrews how often he has to check his blood sugar. When Andrews said after every drive, the other person reacted with surprise.

There were a few fun little moments with Andrews, as well. He joked around with teammates asking if they could cover him before replying: “Trick question. No you can’t.” He also got a shoutout from Harbaugh in a team meeting as they watched film of him burning Houston Texans defenders the week before. The room burst out laughing as he broke away.

Andrews stepped up with the “Hard Knocks” cameras on him this week and followed it up with a historical performance, setting a career-high with 11 receiving touchdowns.

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Unexpected feature

The Ravens’ marching band got some serious air time in this episode. Baltimore’s Marching Ravens predate the Ravens, dating back to when the Baltimore Colts were in town, and they survived through the years when Baltimore was without an NFL team. They are one of two marching bands left in the NFL.

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Interesting tidbits

Here are the small things that made a group of Baltimore sports reporters laugh or take note.

  • Harbaugh’s gray T-shirts. He had one that said “1-0,” classic coach speak, but the one that made everyone laugh was the one that simply said “GOOD.”
  • A bunch of players were wearing masks in the meeting rooms. That’s a sight we haven’t seen since the COVID-19 seasons a few years ago. However, multiple guys were out with illness through the week, which explains the precaution.
  • When asked if any players give him difficulty when it comes to zone reads, Jackson quickly replies “Myles Garrett” in a cool nod of respect from one great to another. He proceeds to not only explain what Garrett does that’s so tricky, but he also tries to mimic it. He then acts out the motions he goes through to try to trick Garrett back.
  • Just like in the last episode, Jackson made NFL history. And just like in the last episode, Jackson has little to no reaction when the coaches tell him it on the sideline. Maybe he’s locked in. Or maybe he’s just that confident that he remains nonchalant even while breaking records.
  • Following Henry’s history-making touchdown, the mics catch Harbaugh wondering if he should take Henry out if they get a first down. Henry scored another touchdown, and then Harbaugh took him — and a bunch of other starters — out, with the AFC North title secured.
  • Of course, the episode can’t leave out the best moment of the game (and of the very young year, if you ask linebacker Roquan Smith). In a moment that has been viewed by millions of people, nose tackle Michael Pierce recorded his first interception. Instead of returning it, he decided to go to the ground. There have been plenty of funny comments about the play, but “Hard Knocks” revealed a new one. After the play, Harbaugh said on the sidelines, “I thought he was going to rumble down the field and score.”