The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL
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...
Week 7 recap: Seahawks = still very good, Bengals offense explodes & are the Ravens done?
Week 7 brought us its fair share of impressive performances. The Cincinnati Bengals used a 35-point run in the second half to throttle the Baltimore Ravens. The Minnesota Vikings kept doing things their way and got to 6-0 with a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Going back to Thursday, the Chicago Bears won a thriller over the New England Patriots. Will any of those teams get seats at the TAFS Contenders Table? And what more did we learn in Week 7? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. <...
Week 7 preview: Super Bowl MVP returns, "biblical greed" consequences & deep dive on the Buccaneers defense
Week 7 brings us the following...a matchup of the franchises that have won three of the last four Super Bowls; the hopeful return of Lamar Jackson in a huge AFC North matchup; a big showdown in the NFC North, which just might be the best division in football; the reeling Los Angeles Rams going on the road in a tougher-than-expected matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders; and a whole lot more. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview a loaded Week 7 slate on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Bears hold off Patriots in Thursday night thriller
Caleb Williams and Drake Maye might have just given us a glimpse into the next decade of the NFL, and if they did, then we've got a great 10 years of football ahead of us. In this moment, though, the result was a 30-24 win for the Chicago Bears over the New England Patriots. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen—along with a special guest joining from the streets of Chicago—recap the game on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays...
The answers to seven of our most pressing preseason questions
Way back in division preview time, we considered what we'd be watching for the first month of the season with each of the 32 teams. Welp, we're now six weeks into the season. What better time to take stock of how we answered that question than right now? Robert Mays is joined by Fran Duffy from the ALLCITY Network to do just that on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
<...Are Colin Simmons and Charlie Becker locks for the first round?
Look, we don't want to get bogged down in weekly referenda on Arch Manning. But when he has a game like that against a defense like Florida's, and when we have a special guest who was a P4 quarterback, we have no choice but to talk about him. So that's exactly where Dane Brugler, Dave Helman and Max Browne from The Athletic Live start this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. The guys also discuss plenty of other quarterbacks in addition to Arch, extend a couple more Green Room invites, and place some draft prospects On...
Week 6 Hangover: Colts era over, Eagles era paused, Giants era...McCarthy?
Just under a year ago, Chris Ballard made a "go big" trade for Sauce Gardner. Two wins and eleven losses later, he's going home. Jalen Hurts, meanwhile, is likely done for the season due to blood clots in his lungs. Those two huge pieces of news disrupted our typical rhythm, and are where Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen begin the Week 6 Hangover. After that, the guys discuss the Panthers stance in the NFC and the bizarre game between the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints.
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49ers stay perfect despite late scare in 23-17 win over Commanders
We got a true Tale of Two Halves in the Week 6 MNF match between the Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers. The Commanders could barely move the ball in the first half - a syndrome that seemed to rub off on the 49ers after halftime. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen break down the drama, the key moments, and the eventual San Fran win.
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Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
<...Week 6 recap: Rams down bad, Texans & Jaguars put on a show, Caleb Williams returns with a bang
Six weeks ago, the Los Angeles Rams were not only the prohibitive favorite to win this season's Super Bowl. They were one of the biggest preseason favorites we've ever seen. Six weeks into the season, they're 2-4 and at the bottom of the NFC West after a shocking 18-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman consider just what has gone so wrong for the Rams on the Week 6 recap episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss Cowboys/Packers on Sunday Night Football, Caleb Williams' big return, the Texans' season-saving win...
Week 6 Preview: Six for 6
The Week 6 slate looks like a great regular season baseball team that doesn't quite have what it takes to get over the hump in October: a bunch of twos and threes, but no true ace. And so with that in mind, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman eschewed Game of the Week and instead dove into six games that have our attention in the Week 6 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show. After hitting on that group of games, the guys took a stroll down Sicko Street and considered a few things they want to know once we...
Broncos, in spite of their offense, beat Seahawks 17-14 on TNF
Of all the Thursday night games, that was definitely one of them. Somehow, someway, the Denver Broncos knocked off the Seattle Seahawks in a game where their offense totaled 168 yards, 2.9 yards per play, 13 first downs, -0.09 EPA/play and a 26.2% success rate. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman dive deep into the insanity on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior...
Peter King on serendipity, change, and a life spent covering the NFL
Peter King is a man who needs no introduction in the world of sports media. He changed what it meant to be an NFL reporter, rising the ranks from beat writer covering the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1980s to one of the most well-known, widely read and influential national writers. In advance of the release of his latest book, "The Game," he sat down with Robert Mays to dive deep into his treasure trove of stories from 40 years of covering the NFL.
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...
Building the Beast: How Chris Cole & Drew Mestemaker are reaffirming their draft stock
Drew Mestemaker's latest outing has us ready to make some bold proclamations: he is QB1 in the 2027 NFL Draft. The week in college football was also highlighted by some of Georgia's best prospects - Chris Cole, KJ Bolden, and Gunner Stockton - impressing against Alabama. Plus, another trip to the QB corner and a look ahead to the prospects worth watching this weekend. Dave Helman and Dane Brugler dive into all of it on this episode of Building the Beast.
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Week 5 Hangover: C.J. Stroud is "f***ing awesome"
Week 5 in the NFL had everything you could want: overtime, on-the-fly scheme changes, defensive beatdowns, and a mid-game trade. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen pick up the leftovers from Sunday and deep dive into young quarterbacks, Marvin Harrison Jr, and an impressive new play caller.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch
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Bills stun special teams-plagued Rams in 37-34 OT win
There are a few things we knew before the season even started: Josh Allen is good at football, Monday Night Football games are best when they feature good teams, and the Los Angeles Rams have a special teams problem. All those familiar themes were on display tonight. Robert Mays and Dave Helman recap Puka Nacua's big night, James Cook's gaffes, and everything else from the Buffalo Bills overtime win.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
<...Week 5 Recap: 49ers & Vikings stay undefeated, Drake Maye goes off, WTF Bears?!
Through five weeks of the 2026 NFL season, two teams sit at 5-0. One of those teams, the San Francisco 49ers, got there with one of the wins of the season thus far, a 32-29 triumph over the Seattle Seahawks on the road. The other, the Minnesota Vikings, keeps on winning ugly. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman discuss both of those games on the Week 5 recap episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also dive into Drake Maye's huge game, a wild finish between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, some troubling performances from the Chicago...
Week 5 Preview: The first 49ers-Seahawks tilt of the season highlights the slate
The last time the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks played one another, home-field advantage on the NFC side of the bracket in last season's playoffs was on the line. It's not a stretch to say that their win in that game helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. These teams get together on Sunday for the first time this season, and it's not a stretch to say that the winner will stake an early claim to being the NFC's best team. That's where Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman begin the Week 5 preview episode of The Athletic...
Buccaneers shock Cowboys in Dallas, 24-16
The NFL world spent much of this past week anointing the Dallas Cowboys as the clear favorite in the NFC East after rough couple of days for the Philadelphia Eagles. Welp, so much for that! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waltzed into Jerry World and knocked off the Cowboys, 24-16, on Thursday Night Football. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the game on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman<...
The most surprising developments in the season's first month
We know the first month of the NFL season is going to surprise us, but we can't be sure exactly what those surprises are going to be. After all, if we knew what they were in advance, they wouldn't be surprises. With the first month of the season now in the books, though, we can wade through the unexpected turns presented to us and highlight the ones that have us most surprised as we get ready for Week 5. From the end of this era of the Eagles, to the Jaguars picking up right where they left off, to the...
Building the Beast: Austin Simmons and C.J. Carr get their turn in the QB Corner
We've spent most of our time this season with the loaded quarterback class focused on Arch Manning or Dante Moore or Drew Mestemaker. Three quarterbacks does not a loaded class make, though, so Dane Brugler and Dave Helman turn their attention to Missouri's Austin Simmons and Notre Dame's C.J. Carr on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. The guys also discuss edge rushers grabbing their attention and the biggest games of Week 6, and introduce The Green Room.
Accompanied reading: Dane’s early All-Rookie team https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7663423/2026/10/06/nfl-all-rookie-jeremiyah-love-arvell-reese/
Week 4 Hangover: Bryce Young's big night, the Chargers season gets worse, and the Giants move into first place
Through four weeks, Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards and ranks seventh in EPA/dropback, sandwiched between Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes. Of course he does. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen kick off the Week 4 Hangover by digging deep into the Carolina Panthers' 32-26 win over the Detroit Lions. After that, the guys move onto the Los Angeles Chargers' latest debacle, a 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks that was nowhere near as close as that score suggests, and the New York Giants' rise to the top of the NFC East after a 36-24 win over the...
Falcons stomp Saints behind dominant run game, 45-24
A strong outing from Michael Penix, a suffocating run game from Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr, and a Jeff Ulbrich classic. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the Week 4 Atlanta Falcons MNF win over the New Orleans Saints.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch
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<...Week 4 Recap: Chiefs and 49ers Remain unbeated, Jaguars win ugly, CeeDee Lamb goes off
As we wrap up the first month of the NFL season, we still have three undefeated teams across the league, and none of them would've been among the most likely candidates if we turned back the clock to August. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman the Week 4 recap of The Athletic Football Show by discussing two of those teams...the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers. The guys also dig into CeeDee Lamb's huge day, the Jacksonville Jaguars' gritty win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Los Angeles Rams' comeback victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, and a whole...
Week 4 Preview: The Raiders are in our Game of the Week!
Broncos-49ers is one of our Games of the Week for Week 4. Which, sure, duh, that was easy to see coming before the season began. The other one, and the one getting top billing, is Chiefs-Raiders. That's right, the Raiders are playing in one of our Games of the Week, and it's not a bit or anything like that. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig deep on those two games, offer up One Thing From Jaguars-Bengals, Rams-Eagles and Cowboys-Texans, take a walk down Sicko Street with a couple of offenses that could be in hell on Sunday, and discuss...
Browns move to 3-1 with 27-24 win over Steelers
A back-and-forth night in Cleveland ended up in an unlikely spot...with the home team sitting at 3-1 on the first night of October. The Cleveland Browns knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-24, to begin Week 4. Robert Mays and Dave Helman break it down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch
<...What Trevor Lawrence's rise can teach us about NFL quarterbacks
Accompanied reading: Sando's 2026 quarterback tiers https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/interactive/nfl-quarterback-tiers-insider-rankings-2026/
Trevor Lawrence was the most baleyhooed quarterback coming out of college since Andrew Luck, seemingly a true can't-miss prospect. Until he missed. And then in year five of his career, when he seemingly was going to go down as a player who never lived up to the hype, he put it all together and finished fifth in MVP voting. Early on this season, he has picked up right where he left off. What can we as a football-loving people take from Lawrence's path to...
Week 3 Hangover: Brian Flores is a menace, Mason Graham comes alive, and the Giants win ugly
An absolutely jam-packed Week 3 Sunday recap means we're back to our Hangover roots. Vikings over Bucs in a game where neither offense reached a 25% success rate? Hell yeah! The Browns improving to 2-1 with a 21-18 win over the Panthers? Hell yeah! Titans-Giants in a game where the two teams combined for 19 points? Hell! Yeah! Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into those three games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and...
Bears, Case Keenum cruise past Eagles in 27-7 victory
No Caleb Williams, no problem. At least for one week. The Chicago Bears turned to third-string quarterback Case Keenum and he helped deliver them a 27-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen break down the game on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer: Scott Krinch
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Week 3 Recap: Broncos stun Rams, Ravens upend Cowboys, Jaguars roll Patriots, and the 3-0 Raiders
We've got 15 more regular season weeks ahead of us, but it wouldn't be a surprise if we just saw what goes down as the best one in Week 3. We had 12 one-score games (two of those were eight-point differences, but still), five of which were decided by three or fewer points. As for storylines, well, the Raiders are 3-0. The Broncos erased a 16-point deficit to beat the Rams. The Ravens won a thriller over the Cowboys in Brazil. The Jaguars absolutely boatraced the Patriots. And the Commanders and Steelers upset the Seahawks and Bengals, respectively. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen...
Week 3 Preview
The Ravens, Cowboys, Rams and Broncos all began this year at our Contender's Table. They're all now 1-1, but we aren't too worried about any of them just yet. And hey, they get together to give us our Games of the Week in Week 3, with the Ravens and Cowboys meeting in Brazil, and the Rams and Broncos squaring off in Denver. After hitting those two games, Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman discuss One Thing From Raiders-Saints, Patriots-Jaguars and Bengals-Steelers, take a stroll down Sicko Street with Brian Flores and Baker Mayfield, and enter the Danger Zone with...
Falcons run all over Packers for first win of season
Time to add the Packers to the list of teams ready to hit the panic button before we even turn the calendar to October. The Falcons, meanwhile, finally had a nice day at the office in Michael Penix's return to the field. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen recap the Falcons' 35-14 win over the Packers on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
...
Is This Real?
**Game Show Audience Voice** IS...THIS...REAL?!? That's right, it's time for one of our favorite annual traditions, a round of Is This Real? with Robert Mays and Bill Barnwell from ESPN. On this year's edition, the guys consider Bryce Young, the Bengals defense, the Packers offense, and a couple more surprises from the first two weeks of the 2026 season.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy...
Building the Beast: Trinidad Chambliss is climbing the boards
Over the weekend, LSU got - as the kids say - cooked by Trinidad Chambliss. The Ole Miss quarterback burst onto the scene last season and it looks like he has no intention of slowing down. Dave Helman and Dane Brugler break down his chances at the 2027 NFL Draft. Plus, Will Echoles, LaNorris Sellers, and a look ahead to a stacked weekend of college football.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller<...
Week 2 Hangover: The Chiefs are back, the Seahawks look dominant, and the Steelers are sad
The Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts saved an otherwise strange Sunday across the NFL with their overtime thriller on Sunday Night Football. That's where Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen kick off the Week 2 Hangover. After that, the guys dig into the Seattle Seahawks' easy 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers' uninspiring 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman<...
MNF Recap: Rams get right over Dart-less Giants
Week 2 was a stark departure from Week 1 for a number of teams, so it was fitting that the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants put a bow on the week in the way that they did. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the Rams' 28-6 win over the Giants on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy...
Week 2 Recap: Bengals, Saints, Broncos score big wins on weird Sunday
Need more proof that the NFL is a week-to-week league? Well, after tying the record for most points scored in Week 1 to kick off the season, scoring came all the way back down to earth in Week 2. The day was further dampened by injuries to Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. Still, there were some big winners, across the league. Such as the Cincinnati Bengals, who rode their defense—yes, defense—to beat the Houston Texans. And how about the New Orleans Saints, who upset the Baltimore Ravens on the road. And then there's the Denver Broncos, who bounced back from...
Week 2 Preview
All it takes is one week of regular season football to get us back in the swing of things. And that means that the traditional weekly previews are back. We've got Bengals-Texans and Jaguars-Broncos as Games of the Week. We've got One Thing From three more big games. We've got a trip down to Sicko Street. And we've got a brand new segment for all of you. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman preview Week 2 on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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<...Bills cruise to big win over Lions behind Josh Allen magic
Another week, another huge Josh Allen game. What's new, right? The Buffalo Bills raced out to an early lead on Thursday night behind Allen and never looked back, coasting to a 41-31 win over the Detroit Lions. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the game on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Host: Robert Mays
Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Social Producer...
First impressions of the teams that FLOPPED in Week 1
Accompanied reading: Sando on special teams https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7578843/2026/09/10/rams-special-teams-sean-mcvay-packers/
Week 1 did not exactly go according to plan for a quartet of teams with big expectations. Those teams? The Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos. Why was that the case for those four teams? And what can they do to turn those Week 1 disappointments into an aberration rather than a pattern? That's wat Robert Mays and The Athletic senior NFL writer Mike Sando discuss on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.
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Building the Beast: Drew Mestemaker back on the NFL Draft radar after Oregon upset
Week 2 of the college football season gave us a pair of great quarterback matchups, with Drew Mestemaker and Dante Moore sharing a field in Eugene, and Arch Manning and Julian Sayin squaring off in Austin. That's where Dave Helman and Dane Brugler kick off this episode of The Athletic Football Show’s Building the Beast. The guys also discuss a trio of QB risers and fallers, and check in on a receiver Draftniks need to know.
Co-Hosts: Dave Helman and Dane Brugler
Executive Producer: Michael Beller
Senior Producer: Katy Duffy
Soc...
Week 1 Hangover: Impressive 2026 debuts for the Ravens, Jets and Raiders
We all know Sundays are jam-packed. They're so busy, in fact, that we can't possibly cover every game from the day in our Sunday night recap show. And that's why The Hangover is back once again in 2026. Every Tuesday, we'll dive deep into a handful of games we didn't get to on Sunday, and this year, we'll plan to save at least one meaty game per week for the Hangover. In the Week 1 edition, that game is the Baltimore Ravens' 41-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. After that, Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into the New York Jets...
