The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

The Athletic

The Athletic’s flagship NFL podcast covers the league like only The Athletic can. Host Robert Mays and co-hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive into the biggest stories, break down the Xs and Os, and tackle the ins and outs of roster building. They meticulously follow the details of why we all love this sport and have plenty of fun along the way, bringing the expertise necessary to cover the NFL at the highest level. You want year-round draft coverage? You'll get that here, too, with draft expert Dane Brugler. Whether it’s happening on the field or behind the scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes20

Newest first

Yesterday · 1 hr 38 min
We're going camping! Panthers, Rams, Chargers and Cowboys
Robert Mays kicked off his annual training camp tour last week, and as always, he'll be speaking with every Athletic beat writer he crosses paths with to get the on-the-ground expertise from people who are with these teams every day. In the first installment of this year's Beat Writer Notebook, Robert speaks with Joe Person on the Panthers, Nate Atkins on the Rams, Daniel Popper on the Chargers on Jon Machota on the Cowboys. Rundown (timestamps are approximate) 3:30 Panthers 32:03 Rams 58:59 Chargers 1:23:00 Cowboys Host: Robert Mays With: Joe Person, Nate Atkins, Daniel Popper and Jon Machota Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thursday · 59 min
2026 versions of 2025 things
Past may not be prologue, but it can give us an idea of what to look for when considering what might come next. For example, Byron Murphy's ascent was critical to the Seahawks' defense turning into a dominant unit. Could another player follow a similar script this year? It's in that spirit that Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen hunt for 2026 versions of 2025 things on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Wednesday · 1 hr 5 min
The second-year players that are X-factors in 2026
We know it's not very humble to say, "I told you so." But...we told you so! At this time last year, we highlighted Cole Bishop and Kris Jenkins—among others—as potential X-factors. And for better or worse, both Bishop and Jenkins were X-factors during the 2025 season. So, we're running it back. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen bring you 15 more players that are X-factors for their teams in 2026. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:21 Vita Vea & Jalen Carter news 15:00 Jared Wilson 18:30 Will Campbell 21:21 Barrett Carter & Demetrius Knight 28:52 Anthony Belton 34:54 Terrance Ferguson 40:35 Matthew Golden 47:11 Travis Hunter 51:25 Tyleik Williams 55:05 Tate Ratledge 59:45 TJ Sanders 1:00:12 Pat Bryant 1:00:38 Lathan Ransom 1:02:50 Donovan Ezeiruaku 1:03:32 Several 49ers Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tuesday · 1 hr 6 min
Who has the most at stake in 2026?
Every single person in the NFL—players, head coaches, coordinators, position coaches, executives, you name it—has something at stake every season. But some people have more at stake in one individual season than most everyone else. So who has the most at stake in 2026? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:27 Zac Taylor 10:40 Todd Bowles 14:59 Baker Mayfield 21:48 Kyler Murray 28:46 Kevin O'Connell 34:53 Monti Ossenfort 44:23 Brian Daboll 49:13 Chris Ballard 54:00 Quentin Johnston 58:26 George Pickens 1:00:39 Jermaine Johnson 1:01:21 Tariq Woolen 1:03:05 Pick your Ram 1:03:22 2024 receivers Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Monday · 54 min
Our biggest questions heading into training camp
*GENERIC TRUMPET BLASTS SOUNDING A CALL TO ARMS* That's right, training camp is here and the 2026 NFL season is basically underway. We have plenty of questions around the league as all 32 teams open camp across the next few days, so many that we can't possibly get into all of them. This episode of The Athletic Football Show is reserved for our biggest questions as training camp begins. Robert Mays and Dave Helman find themsleves wondering about topics such as the Texans offensive line, the Raiders' development plan for Fernando Mendoza, the new-look Bills defense, and plenty more. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:12 Patrick Mahomes 3:55 Chiefs offense 5:53 Jaguars skill positions 9:45 Seahawks running backs 14:45 Ravens offense & Bills defense 21:27 Vikings QB competition 24:26 Vikings run game 26:24 Falcons QBs 30:44 Fernando Mendoza sitting 40:14Year 2 of Cam Ward 42:25 Eagles & Commanders offenses 42:56 Texans offensive line 46:22 Nic Scourton injury 47:47 Eagles receiving core 49:50 Mike McDaniel transformation 51:43 Late camp signings Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 24 · 59 min
How Klayton Adams helped build one of the NFL's most exciting offenses
The 2025 Cowboys offense ranked fifth in EPA/play and eighth in DVOA. The man at the head of that was first-year offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who arrived in Dallas after a two-year run as the Cardinals offensive line coach. The Cardinals were a top-10 rushing offense by EPA/rush and DVOA in both of Adams' seasons there. In other words, he certainly appears to have a strong grip on how to put together a successful, multi-faceted offense in today's NFL. He dove into his process, and a whole lot more, with Robert Mays on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 23 · 1 hr 21 min
The ideal way to build a WR room in 2026
We have long understood wide receiver as a premium position in the NFL, but the natural evolution of offenses and schemes has influenced everything—including the way you want to build out and balance your wide receiver corps. So what's the ideal way to put the pieces together in today's NFL? Matt Harmon from Yahoo Sports joins Robert Mays to fit it all into place on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:09 What should your receiver group look like? 9:43 First piece of a receiver room 13:53 Building around a WR1 25:51 Impact on offense as a whole 32:31 What to surround a WR1 with 43:12 Impact of heavy personnel 48:35 Ideal skill sets for receivers in heavy personnel 56:09 Underrated skill sets for receivers 59:45 How to project a WR success in NFL 1:03:07 Changing landscape of slot receivers 1:07:43 Examples of properly-built receiver groups 1:11:42 Deploying pure speed Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 22 · 57 min
The 2026 Scheme Change All-Stars
Sometimes all a player needs to break through is a new coach or a change of scenery. A new scheme can unlock something can unlock something in any number of players, and those guys can go on to dramatically affect the landscape of the league. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman highlight potential Scheme Change All-Stars on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 0:29 Live show announcement 5:19 Ashton Jeanty & Las Vegas Raiders 10:07 Jack Bech & Raiders 15:59 Mike Evans & San Francisco 49ers 23:44 Jalen Thompson & Dallas Cowboys 31:23 Marvin Harrison Jr & Arizona Cardinals 36:57 Chris Rodriguez & Jacksonville Jaguars 43:57 Jalen Ramsey & Pittsburgh Steelers 49:04 Logan Hall & Houston Texans 54:09 A'Shawn Robinson & Tampa Bay Buccaneers Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 21 · 1 hr 11 min
Which team has the healthiest roster construction in 2026?
Do you remember the chart your teacher used in health class to show that 50% of your food should be fruits and vegetables? Maybe you also remember that little tiny sliver showing fatty or sugary foods. Well, think of Jaxon Smith-Njigba's four-year, $168.6 million contract as a bowl of ice cream and Bo Nix's four-year, $18.6 million rookie contract as a plate of broccoli. The ice cream tastes great, but you'd feel pretty sluggish if you didn't have a whole bunch of broccoli to go with it. On this episode of The Athletic Football Show, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen discuss which NFL teams are best balancing indulgent superstar extensions with vitamin-packed rookie contracts. 0:00 Welcome to the show 5:05 Los Angeles Rams 10:51 Philadelphia Eagles 15:55 New England Patriots 21:15 Chicago Bears 26:55 Seattle Seahawks 31:25 Detroit Lions 35:22 Los Angeles Chargers 38:52 Cleveland Browns 42:10 Houston Texans 43:39 Green Bay Packers 47:20 Dallas Cowboys 48:35 Jacksonville Jaguars 50:37 Denver Broncos 55:16 Carolina Panthers 58:44 Tennessee Titans 1:03:18 Buffalo Bills 1:07:11 Washington Commanders Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 20 · 59 min
Aaron Donald's return could happen, but SHOULD it?
Dear TAFS friends, we have reached the end of the line for the summer mailbag this year. You guys brought it week after week, and you certainly sent us off with a bang. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman answer questions on the influence of the Doug Pederson Eagles, the best way to be a bad team, the potential return of Aaron Donald, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:45 Eagles/Doug Pederson influence 12:46 Titans new offense 23:05 Ideal way to be a bad team 33:00 Evaluating cornerbacks 39:47 Aaron Donald return 48:24 Third-place game? Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 17 · 1 hr 4 min
The storylines we didn't talk enough about this offseason
Believe it or not, we're just about at the end of the true NFL offseason. The two teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game—the Panthers and Cardinals—open training camp next week. We at The Athletic Football Show think we do a comprehensive job covering every team during this stretch on the calendar, but we have to admit that a few teams become a bit fainter on our radar. So why didn't we talk much about teams like the Falcons, Vikings, Bills and Eagles? Why did the Broncos, Patriots, Panthers and Ravens spend most of these last two months out of the TAFS studio? And, what should we have been talking about related to those eight teams during the offseason? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman finally give those teams some attention on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 3:26 Falcons 10:36 Panthers 20:32 Vikings 28:47 Bills 36:08 Ravens 43:40 Eagles 50:10 Broncos 55:36 Patriots Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 16 · 1 hr 31 min
The breakout players we're counting on for the 2026 season
Breakout seasons from Azeez Al-Shaair, Byron Young and Tuli Tuipulotu helped define the 2025 season. Who might be those players this year? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman introduce the Breakout Player Draft on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:14 The rules 6:30 Paris Johnson 12:04 Omarion Hampton 15:40 Walter Nolen 19:34 Luther Burden 25:12 Amarius Mims 27:43 Nohl Williams 32:25 Malaki Starks 35:12 Yaya Diaby 37:19 Josh Simmons 40:09 Dallas Turner 44:02 Jonas Sanker 45:49 Craig Woodson 48:58 Warren McClendon 53:05 Nic Scourton 56:18 Dylan Fairchild 59:10 Patrick Paul 1:02:31 Tykee Smith 1:03:57 Ricky Pearsall 1:09:23 Rome Odunze 1:13:06 Cedric Gray 1:18:40 Austin Booker 1:20:55 Upton Stout 1:21:54 Billy Bowman 1:24:05 Jalen Travis Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 15 · 1 hr 9 min
Nine lessons we learned from the NFL's best defenses
Last season marked the third-straight year in which a team driven by its defense won the Super Bowl. What can the success of last year's Seahawks—not to mention the Texans, Eagles, Vikings and Broncos—teach us about the NFL in 2026? Cody Alexander from Match Quarters joins Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen to share the lessons learned from last season's best defenses on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:43 Run defense 4:00 Run defense on first down 19:44 Edge-linebacker hybrid 28:17 Base defense 30:00 Nickel defense 38:38 Zone coverage 45:35 Weaponizing dime 50:34 Blitz efficiency 58:52 Split-field coverages Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 13 · 1 hr 5 min
Which outlier stats are most likely to remain outliers?
We're approaching the end of mailbag season but we aren't quite there yet, so Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen opened up the mail and found eight great questions in there. The guys tackle questions on linebacker tiers, outlier statistics, the Lions' 2023 draft, and a whole lot more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:35 Linebacker tiers 18:47 Outlier stats for QBs 26:36 Favorite odd records 31:50 Teams that disappeared when stakes were high 43:30 Saving past RBs 49:22 Reversing Matthew Stafford’s career 57:05 Lions 2023 Draft: Witherspoon or Gibbs? Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 10 · 1 hr 3 min
What really was Caleb Williams' 2025 season? & More lingering questions
We've reached the end of our Lingering Questions series for the 2026 offseason, and we close it out with a trio of questions that loom large over the year to come. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive deep into critical questions about Caleb Williams, the Bengals offense, and the Steelers defense on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 1:58 What was Caleb Williams' 2025 season? 30:19 Is the Bengals offense really Super Bowl ready? 50:20 How should we feel about Patrick Graham (and the Steelers defense)? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 9 · 55 min
Is the era of quarterback-driven success in the NFL over?
Name your favorite unicorn quarterback. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, you name it. They're all done. Done! The era of a mystical quarterback leading your NFL team to a Super Bowl is over...maybe. The era of Seahawks-adjacent defensive domination is here...maybe. Robert Mays, Dave Helman, and Derrik Klassen are diving into why the NFL has felt so different lately, what the defining factors of this new (kind of) era are, and how long it will last. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:58 Are we in a new era? 6:30 Well, what was the last era? 17:28 And why has the NFL felt so different recently? 28:24 What exactly has changed since the previous era? 41:12 And what do these changes mean for the future? 48:51 Okay, what are the answers? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 8 · 1 hr 9 min
Eleven lessons we learned from last seasons best offenses
Sure, you learn something new every day. But today? Today you're learning ELEVEN new things...straight from the NFL's best offenses from the 2025-26 season. What do we know now about tight end usage? What role does play action serve in an efficient offense? And what should you actually do on first downs? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and old friend Nate Tice dig into all of the best lessons from last season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. 0:00 Welcome to the show 4:18 Twin tight ends 8:40 Adding layers to your offense 15:44 Creativity in motion players 23:34 “You can’t take penalties!” 28:18 Holding the quarterback’s hand 36:29 Play action is f***ing back, baby 38:39 Giving defense information pre-snap 47:00 Utilizing first downs 57:01 “Get back on track” situations 1:00:59 Respecting the deep throw Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 6 · 57 min
The best short-term heaters in NFL history
Thank you, TAFS fans, for once again bringing the goods for another mailbag episode. You all are truly on an all-time run. And speaking of that, what are the best Linsanity-style runs in NFL history? What sorts of trades from yesteryear—think Champ Bailey and a second-round pick for Clinton Portis—would you never see in today's NFL? Where do offensive line coaches develop? Robert Mays and Dave Helman answer those questions, and more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 2 · 1 hr
Why the Houston Texans are a legitimate Super Bowl threat
The FTN Football Almanac is as close as we have to religious text in the NFL analytics world. The 2026 version is set to drop shortly, so Robert Mays welcomed the founder of the Almanac, FTN's director of analytics Aaron Schatz, to this episode of The Athletic Football Show to highlight the most surprising nuggets from this year's edition. 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:01 Texans Super Bowl threat 12:30 2026 Super Bowl was almost impossible 18:50 Gap between Bears offense and defense 25:38 Patriots ease of schedule 32:10 Bengals, Cowboys playoff chances 38:34 Rams 13 personnel 41:36 Best/worst overside coverage corners 46:20 Jets defensive improvement 49:35 Steelers offense oddity 54:03 Jordan Love with vs without pressure Host: Robert Mays Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 1 · 1 hr 10 min
Are the Chiefs and Lions still who we think they are?
Nine questions answered, six more to go. On this edition of our Lingering Questions series, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dig into the following: The Lions are the betting favorite to win the NFC North...should they be? Can the Colts' second-half woes be explained away by Daniel Jones' injuries? Do the Chiefs really still deserve the benefit of the doubt? 0:00 Welcome to the show 2:01 Lions release Terrion Arnold 3:55 Are the Lions deserving of the optimism they're getting? 26:46 Can the Colts' woes be blamed on Daniel Jones' injury? 44:05 Do the Chiefs deserve the benefit of the doubt? Host: Robert Mays Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman Executive Producer: Michael Beller Senior Producer: Katy Duffy Social Producer: Scott Krinch Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_ Theme song: Haunted Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

We're going camping! Panthers, Rams, Chargers and Cowboys

2026 versions of 2025 things

The second-year players that are X-factors in 2026

Who has the most at stake in 2026?

Our biggest questions heading into training camp

How Klayton Adams helped build one of the NFL's most exciting offenses

The ideal way to build a WR room in 2026

The 2026 Scheme Change All-Stars

Which team has the healthiest roster construction in 2026?

Aaron Donald's return could happen, but SHOULD it?

The storylines we didn't talk enough about this offseason

The breakout players we're counting on for the 2026 season

Nine lessons we learned from the NFL's best defenses

Which outlier stats are most likely to remain outliers?

What really was Caleb Williams' 2025 season? & More lingering questions

Is the era of quarterback-driven success in the NFL over?

Eleven lessons we learned from last seasons best offenses

The best short-term heaters in NFL history

Why the Houston Texans are a legitimate Super Bowl threat

Are the Chiefs and Lions still who we think they are?