NFL dampens Bills' Super Bowl hopes by assigning them to HBO's 'Hard Knocks'

By asking the Buffalo Bills to host the training camp documentary series, the NFL is asking them to achieve a feat that's not yet been done.

Jul 22, 2023; Florham Park, NJ, USA; An NFL Films crew for the HBO television series Hard Knocks films as New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) participates in drills during the New York Jets Training Camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills are on a quest for the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl title, and now the Kansas City Chiefs aren't the only ones standing in their way.

The Bills have been chosen to host HBO's award-winning documentary series Hard Knocks, which debuted in 2001. Titled Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills, it'll be the first time ever that Buffalo will provide the content for the groundbreaking series that documents training camp life in the NFL.

The bad news is that there have been 20 teams featured in the summertime edition of the series, and none of them went on to win the Super Bowl during that particular season.

The Los Angeles Rams achieved the feat one year after starring in Hard Knocks. The Rams co-starred alongside the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2020 COVID training camp edition and went onto finish 10-6 overall. In 2021, the Rams proceeded to win Super Bowl LVI.

Aug 21, 2020; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; A HBO Hard Knocks cameraman films video footage during Los Angeles Rams training camp at Cal Lutheran University / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Correlating a Hard Knocks appearance with a subsequent Super Bowl appearance is a somewhat disingenuous exercise considering, until this year, teams who had made the playoffs at least once in the past two years could decline to participate in the series. That criteria allowed the better teams to avoid the perceived inconvenience, meaning rebuilding franchises were more likely to be selected, such as the Chicago Bears in 2024.

The Baltimore Ravens were the featured team in the series' inaugural 2001 season. Fresh off the Super Bowl XXXV title, the Ravens proceeded to post a 10-6 record following their Hard Knocks appearance. Ravens' starting running back Jamal Lewis suffered a season-ending ACL injury that year during training camp.

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In 2023, the New York Jets starred in Hard Knocks, carrying high hopes with four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers at the controls. Unfortunately, after the compelling series concluded, disaster ensued. Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 against the Bills and the Jets finished with a 7-10 record.

The Bills, who have won five consecutive AFC East titles, are expected to contend for the Super Bowl once again. NFL Media data analyst Cynthia Frelund projected the Bills for 11.4 wins in 2025. Meanwhile, DraftKings Sportsbook has Buffalo listed at +700 to win Super Bowl LX with only the Philadelphia Eagles (+650) holding lower odds.

This goofball on #HardKnocks 🔜@BuffaloBills | @JoshAllenQB pic.twitter.com/qaGzxb0rYz

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