The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

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 Football Show. The guys also discuss Bills-Rams, Raiders-Patriots and Ravens-Falcons, take a stroll down Sicko Street with Colts-Steelers, consider Sean Payton taking playcalling duties from Davis Webb and the end of this era of the Philadelphia Eagles, and a whole lot more.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VJV7zyDw

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 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.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bCyPFKAS

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.

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 suddenly explosive Falcons offense, and everything in between, Robert Mays and Diante Lee from The Ringer dig into the biggest surprises in the NFL thus far on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VJV7zyDw

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.

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/

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VJV7zyDw

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.

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 Arizona Cardinals.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bCyPFKAS

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.

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.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/VJV7zyDw

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.

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 lot more.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bCyPFKAS

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.

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 Mike Tomlin's Minecraft masterpiece on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bCyPFKAS

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.

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.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bCyPFKAS

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.

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 where he is now? Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive into that question on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: https://discord.gg/bCyPFKAS

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.