Our Wild Card Weekend preview is so jam-packed, we had to separate it into two episodes. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into the three NFC games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Packers-Eagles? Get ready for plenty of run game on both sides. Commanders-Buccaneers? That's the two most unexpectedly fun offenses in the league. Vikings-Rams? Kevin O'Connell and Sean McVay matching wits for the second time this season. It's going to be a helluva weekend on the NFC side of the bracke...
Jan 10, 2025•1 hr 10 min
Our Wild Card Weekend preview is so jam-packed, we had to separate it into two episodes. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into the three AFC games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Chargers-Texans is a matchup of arguably the most overachieving and underachieving teams in the playoff field. Steelers-Ravens is a rubber match, sure, but it's also a game between one team that faded down the stretch, and one that proved it is among the Super Bowl favorites. Finally, Broncos-Bills pits...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 21 min
The 2024-25 edition of Black Monday brought with it three coach firings—Jerod Mayo in New England, Doug Pederson in Jacksonville and Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas. Those three teams, along with the Bears, Jets and Saints will be spending the next few weeks finding their new head coaches. How do we expect those searches to unfold, and what does what we already know about them say about each of the teams? Mike Sando joins Robert Mays to break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show...
Jan 08, 2025•2 hr 38 min
The playoff puzzle was mostly put together going into Week 18, but there was still one huge piece that needed to be put in place. The Lions dropped that piece into the puzzle on Sunday night, knocking off the Vikings to lock up the top spot in the NFC. All that's left now is to put a bow on the regular season, and point ourselves toward the playoffs. That's exactly what Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen do on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Lions take care of Vikings, lock up 1-...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 25 min
The regular season began four months ago with what very well could be an AFC Championship Game preview, Ravens at Chiefs. It ends with what very well could be an NFC Championship Game preview, Vikings at Lions. The location of that possible third meeting between division foes will be determined on Sunday night when they battle for regular season NFC supremacy. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive deep on that game to kick off the Week 18 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys als...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Lamar or Josh, who's the MVP? It's the question that will define NFL awards season this year. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen answer it at the end of this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Before that, the guys hand out all the rest of the standard hardware—Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, you know the drill—as well as the extras that get at the heart and soul of TAFS—Assistant Coach of the Year, narrative changers, and more. Rundown Offensive Player of the Year De...
Jan 01, 2025•2 hr 31 min
Every serious Super Bowl contender picks up a signature win at some point of the regular season. The Vikings may have already had one, but they certainly got one on Sunday. That's where Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen begin the Week 17 recap episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss the Commanders clinching a playoff berth, the Bengals (and Dolphins) staying alive in the AFC Wild Card race, the Colts falling out of the picture, the Jekyll and Hyde Rams, Saquon Barkley hitting t...
Dec 30, 2024•2 hr 41 min
A good contract can be a sneaky differentiator for an NFL team. A bad one can torpedo half a decade or so. On the final episode of The Money Down, The Athletic Football Show's miniseries focused on the business of the NFL, Robert Mays and Bill Barnwell from ESPN highlight the best and worst deals of the last 10 to 15 years. Host: Robert Mays With: Bill Barnwell Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Chris Flannery Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robe...
Dec 28, 2024•1 hr 28 min
There may not be a ton of playoff intrigue as we head toward the end of the regular season, but what we do have is about as good as it could be. Take, for example, the Week 17 showdown in the NFC North between the Packers and Vikings. A Vikings win sets up a likely win-and-get-the-1-seed game between them and the Lions in Week 18. A Packers win doesn't carry quite that level of playoff implication, but it would further cement them as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Robert Mays and Derrik Klas...
Dec 26, 2024•1 hr 18 min
It's the holiday season and we're getting in the spirit on The Athletic Football Show. From the right offensive coach for Caleb Wiliams to a new team for Myles Garrett, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen are giving gifts to players, teams and coaches across the NFL on this episode of TAFS. Rundown A want for more from the Cowboys for Jerry Jones A ball-winner for Lamar Jackson The right offensive coach for Caleb Williams The fountain of youth for Matthew Stafford Wolverine blood for the Lions Framed...
Dec 24, 2024•1 hr 8 min
So which team had the best Week 16? It's not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Sure, it might look like the Vikings, who kept pace with the Lions atop the NFC. It might look like the Chiefs, who took an impressive step toward locking up the top seed in the AFC. It might look like the Commanders, who brought back the early season offense in their win over the Eagles. It could even be the Rams, who put themselves on the doorstep of clinching the NFC West. So, who is it? Well, Robert Mays a...
Dec 23, 2024•2 hr 41 min
Broncos-Chargers on Thursday. Steelers-Ravens and Texans-Chiefs on Saturday. Eagles-Commanders on Sunday. The playoff push is on, seeming every single day of the week. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen preview the jam-packed Week 16 slate on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Chargers-Broncos recap Steelers-Ravens preview Texans-Chiefs preview Eagles run defense vs. Jayden Daniels and the Washington offense Can Minnesota's offense keep it rolling in Seattle? What do we make of the ...
Dec 20, 2024•2 hr 47 min
Bill Belichick, head coach at the University of North Carolina. It's going to take some getting used to. Robert Mays starts that process from two different angles on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. First, he's joined by Seth Wickersham of ESPN to discuss why a move to the college game would be attractive to Belichick at this stage of his career. Then, David Ubben, host of The Athletic's Until Saturday podcast, jumps on with Robert to dig into the Belichick/UNC pairing from the colleg...
Dec 19, 2024•1 hr 20 min
From the heroics of Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown, to the breakouts from Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, and the letdowns from Bears and Texans passing games, the 2024 season gave us plenty to talk about at the wide receiver position. That's exactly what Robert Mays and Matt Harmon of Yahoo do on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Host: Robert Mays With: Matt Harmon Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football S...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 27 min
If the Week 15 game between the Bills and Lions proves to be a Super Bowl LIX preview, then we're all one for one helluva rematch in New Orleans in a couple months. In the meantime, the Bills scored one of the biggest wins of the season in taking down the Lions on the road. That's where Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen begin the Week 15 recap episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss the Texans defense, Jalen Hurts acing the litmus test, the Buccaneers offense, the Chiefs woeful...
Dec 16, 2024•2 hr 37 min
Hungry for more inside scoop on the NFL? We've got a great show in our network to share with you: Scoop City. Twice a week, The Athletic's senior NFL insider Dianna Russini and longtime quarterback NFL Chase Daniel share what they're hearing and seeing from their own unique perspectives. And their latest episode is just a taste of all you get from them in your feed. You'll hear them dishing with The Athletic's Bruce Feldman about what people inside the NFL and college football are saying about B...
Dec 14, 2024•59 min
Super Bowl LIX is eight weeks from Sunday. Would any of us be surprised if we're talking about the Bills and Lions in New Orleans? Of course not! And that's just one thing that makes their Week 15 matchup so much fun. Bills-Lions highlights a loaded week in which we also get Steelers-Eagles, Packers-Seahawks, Broncos-Colts (the biggest game on the slate in terms of the makeup of the playoff field), Buccaneers-Chargers and Dolphins-Texans. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen preview the week ahead on ...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 17 min
In another world, the Week 14 Monday night game between the Bengals and Cowboys could've been a Super Bowl preview. In our world, it was just another game between a couple of teams that won't make the playoffs. Where did this season go so wrong for the Bengals, Cowboys and three other teams—the 49ers, Jets and Dolphins—most of the football world believed could be contenders? And can they turn things around in short order? First, Robert Mays is joined by The Athletic's Paul Dehner Jr. to discuss ...
Dec 11, 2024•2 hr 38 min
The 2025 coaching carousel has been spinning since the Jets surprisingly fired Robert Saleh in October. Since then, the Bears and Saints have officially hopped on board, and we know at least three or four more are going to join them. Who else might be looking for a coach after the season? What should we expect from Bill Belichick, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn? Who might be the surprise candidates that emerge in January? Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated joins Robert Mays to break down the upcomin...
Dec 10, 2024•2 hr 51 min
Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and ran for three more scores on Sunday...and the Bills lost. On the other side of that game, the Rams vaulted themselves right back into the NFC West race. We're staring down a wild final month of the regular season, and it all got started in Week 14. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen recap the week on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Rams win thriller over Bills Seahawks remain atop NFC West Patrick Mahomes late-game mastery...You Have My...
Dec 09, 2024•2 hr 31 min
The quarterback position is the most important in all of sports, and it comes with the trappings that such a designation commands. Including, of course, money. All 32 teams in the NFL revolve around their quarterback in a way that is unique among professional sports. It's not just about how good of a quarterback he is. The amount and length of his contract is just as important. The way teams handle that can often help determine who is playing in the Super Bowl at the end of the season. And, like...
Dec 07, 2024•1 hr 3 min
You know what the best part of Week 14 is? No, not learning if the Chiefs can keep getting away with this in their showdown with the Chargers. No, not the huge NFC West matchup between the Seahawks and Cardinals. It's not even that awesome Lions-Packers game we all watched on Thursday. Week 14 is the final week with byes. After Week 14, every team will have played 13 games, and we'll finally be back to standings equilibrium. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen preview the week ahead, and recap the Li...
Dec 06, 2024•2 hr 40 min
As we head into the final month of the 2024 regular season, we know who the true Super Bowl contenders are. What's just as clear, however, are their flaws. Robert Mays and Fran Duffy from PHLY of the ALLCITY Network dig into those flaws on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Browns-Broncos recap What's keeping the Steelers up at night? What's keeping the Vikings up at night? What's keeping the Packers up at night? What's keeping the Ravens up at night? What's keeping the Bills up...
Dec 03, 2024•2 hr 42 min
The Eagles' win over the Ravens in Week 13 wasn't just the team's best on its current eight-game winning streak. It was quite possibly the best win of the season for any team. That's where Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen begin the Week 13 recap episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss the Steelers winning a game in which they needed to score more than 38 points, Kirk Cousins' terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, the crazy NFC West race, and a whole lot more. Rundown Eagl...
Dec 02, 2024•2 hr 35 min
If the first third of the season is about deciphering fact from fiction, and the middle third is about learning who teams really are, the final third is about the playoff push. The final third of the season begins in Week 13, and we've got five great games that are going to help us determine what the early stages of that playoff push look like. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen preview those games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Chargers-Falcons preview Steelers-Bengals previ...
Nov 29, 2024•1 hr 12 min
The college football regular season is winding to a close, which means our discussions around the 2025 NFL Draft are heating up. Dane Brugler joins Robert Mays to check in on where the class stands on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss the rookie campaigns being put together by Drake Maye, Brock Bowers, Jared Verse and Bo Nix. Before all that, though, The Athletic's Chargers beat reporter Daniel Popper gets on the mic with Robert to recap the Ravens' win over the C...
Nov 26, 2024•2 hr 47 min
On the 49ers-Packers broadcast in Week 12, Tom Brady said that teams aren't who they really are until Thanksgiving. We might not be at Turkey Day quite yet, but it's a late Thanksgiving this year, so we can make an exception. We saw a whole lot of true colors on the field in Week 12. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen are here to break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Eagles dominate Rams Packers run game...You Have My Attention! Seahawks defense...You Have My Atten...
Nov 25, 2024•2 hr 40 min
If you're the type of NFL fan who wants to watch every game, you've tuned into at least seven different networks and streamers this season. It isn't likely that sort of market segmentation is going away any time soon. So how will we be watching football in 2030, 2040 and beyond? Robert Mays is joined by Andrew Marchand, The Athletic's senior sports media columnist, to dive deep into the NFL broadcasting future on this episode of The Money Down, a special four-part miniseries on the business of t...
Nov 23, 2024•1 hr 1 min
Week 12 marks the end of the middle-third of the regular season and pushes us into the start of the stretch run toward the playoffs. What better way to celebrate that than with the third meeting between the Harbaugh brothers as head coaches in the NFL? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen kick off the Week 12 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show by digging into Ravens-Chargers and 49ers-Packers. The guys also highlight one thing apiece from Eagles-Rams and Cardinals-Seahawks, consider the pla...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 25 min
Look, not everyone can be a Super Bowl contender. Plenty of teams aren't even playoff contenders. More than half the league misses the playoffs, and many of those teams are bad. Some are very bad. But that doesn't mean they can't take something from the 2024 season. Robert Mays and Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated and the MMQB find silver linings for those bad teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Texans-Cowboys MNF recap Jets fire Joe Douglas Silver lining for the 2024 J...
Nov 19, 2024•2 hr 44 min
