The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Robert Mays is just about off the road, but we've still got a double Beat Writer Notebook weekend for the masses. This episode features Kevin Fishbain, Tashan Reed and Matt Barrows, The Athletic's Bears, Raiders and 49ers beat writers, respectively. Can Ben Johnson be exactly what Caleb Williams needs? Is Pete Carroll the man to get the Raiders on track? Are the 49ers as ready for a rebound season as they appear to be? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

2:44 Robert Mays and Kevin Fishbain from Bears camp

32:56 Robert Mays and Tashan Reed from Raiders camp

1:02:57 Robert Mays and Matt Barrows from 49ers camp

Host: Robert Mays

With: Kevin Fishbain, Tashan Reed, Matt Barrows

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

Training camp is winding down, and so, too, is Robert Mays' Beat Writer Notebook. We've got two more for you this weekend, though, beginning with Paul Dehner Jr., James Boyd and Matt Schneidman, The Athletic's Bengals, Colts and Packers beat writers, respectively. Can the Bengals defense simply be good enough? What should we make of the Colts quarterback situation? Is this the season this version of the Packers takes off? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

3:00 Robert Mays and Paul Dehner Jr. from Bengals camp

32:13 Robert Mays and James Boyd from Colts camp

1:01:57 Robert Mays and Matt Schneidman from Packers camp

Host: Robert Mays

With: Paul Dehner Jr., James Boyd, Matt Schneidman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

First impressions are pretty important in all facets of life. So what sort of first impressions did some of the youngsters across the league make in Week 1 of the preseason? Robert Mays, Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen dig into the QBs, the key offensive linemen, Travis Hunter, the rookies on the 49ers defense and more on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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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.

It's time for an annual bit on The Athletic Football Show. And what better way to stage a bit on an NFL podcast than against the backdrop of the Super Bowl. As much upheaval as there is in the NFL every year, we all know that there's an inner circle of Super Bowl contenders to start the season. They are the teams with A Seat at the Table. The composition of the table will change as the season goes on, and we'll be there for every twist and turn. But for now, as the beginning of the season draws near, these are the 10 teams with A Seat at the Table.

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

Last year at this time, no one was expecting much from the Commanders offense or the Broncos defense. By the end of the season, they were among the units that defined 2024. Which units can pull off the same feat and come from out of nowhere to carry their teams this season. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen point to eight candidates—four offenses and four defenses—on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

4:52 Cowboys offense

13:33 Titans offense

24:43 Raiders offense

34:31 Panthers offense

46:35 49ers defense

52:52 Cardinals defense

1:04:50 Colts defense

1:11:20 Patriots defense

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Derrik Klassen

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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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 expanded to 14 total playoff teams, seven per conference, in 2020. In each of the five seasons since expansion, at least one division sent three teams to the playoffs. It was two last season, with the AFC West and NFC North pulling off the trick. So we can say with relative certainty that at least one division will have three playoff teams this season. Which division is going to keep the streak alive? Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen rank them from least to most likely on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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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.

Look, you visit with eight teams in one week, you gotta have two Beat Writer Notebooks. In this edition, Robert talks with Joe Person, Zac Jackson and Nicki Jhabvala, The Athletic's Panthers, Browns and Commanders beat writers, respectively. How legitimate is the optimism for the Panthers offense? How do the Browns even measure success this season? What can the Commanders do to follow up on last season's unexpected breakthrough? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

4:01 Robert and Joe Person from Panthers camp

27:21 Robert and Zac Jackson from Browns camp

48:08 Robert and Nicki Jhabvala from Commanders camp

Host: Robert Mays

With: Joe Person, Zac Jackson, Nicki Jhabvala

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

Robert Mays is coming off his busiest week of training camp yet, having spent the previous seven days with eight different teams (gotta love joint practices). In this edition of the Beat Writer Notebook, Robert talks with Joe Buscaglia, The Athletic's Bills beat writer, and Mike DeFabo, The Athletic's Steelers beat writer. How do the Bills finally get over the hump? Can Aaron Rodgers find enough of the fountain of youth to push the Steelers to another level? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Plus, Robert and Derrik Klassen cover the injuries to Rashawn Slater and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

3:10 Rashawn Slater and C.J. Gardner-Johnson injuries

17:25 Robert and Joe Buscaglia at Bills camp

45:36 Robert and Mike DeFabo at Steelers camp

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Derrik Klassen

With: Joe Buscaglia, Mike DeFabo

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

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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.

Teams have been at training camp for a couple weeks now, so you know what that means. We've got plenty of storylines floating around out there. Some of them matter. Many of them don't. Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen wade through them and separate what actually has meaning from what doesn't on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

6:09 Matthew Stafford's back injury

13:27 Ben Johnson's aggressive approach to training camp

24:07 The Saints QB battle

32:20 Depth chart silliness

52:57 Rookie WRs turning heads

1:01:45 Aireontae Ersery pushing for a starting job in Houston

Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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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.

There is a subset of quarterbacks for whom the 2025 season is an inflection point. For some of them, it's about their future in the league. For others, it's due to the massive changes around them. For still others, it's about their legacy. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen discuss eight quarterbacks at a crossroads this season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.

Rundown (timestamps are approximate)

5:11 Kyler Murray

21:22 Jared Goff

34:26 Trevor Lawrence

46:47 C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love

55:56 Brock Purdy

1:03:05 Patrick Mahomes

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Host: Derrik Klassen

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Producer: Michael Beller

Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show

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Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

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Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @robertmays

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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.