The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Nearly every coaching hire looks fine on paper. Many of them look good. Great, even! But we know not all of them turn out great or good or even fine. So how could each hire in this year's cycle go right, or go wrong? Robert Mays and Jourdan Rodrigue, Athletic NFL senior writer, go over all of them on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. After that, they play a game of "What this job is, and what this job ins't" with the openings still remaining, and highlight who they believe are the best candidates for each of those positions.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)5:03 Where John Harbaugh and the Giants could go right, where it could go wrong15:26 Where Kevin Stefanski and the Falcons could go right, where it could go wrong30:09 Where Jeff Hafley and the Dolphins could go right, where it could go wrong36:34 Where Robert Saleh and the Titans could go right, where it could go wrong44:17 What is, and what isn't, the Cardinals job?50:23 What is, and what isn't, the Bills job?58:26 What is, and what isn't, the Ravens job?1:02:33 What is, and what isn't, the Steelers job?1:05:18 Mike McDaniel as the Chargers OC1:11:17 Drew Petzing as the Lions OC1:12:52 Robert on the Browns job1:16:17 Robert on the Raiders jobConnect with The Athletic Football ShowPlease take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysWith: Jourdan RodrigueExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

The end of the college football season is something of a starting bell for NFL Draft season, and the annual all-star games get everything going. It begins this week with the Shrine Bowl, a showcase event for draft prospects. Eric Galko, director of football operations and player personnel for the Shrine Bowl, joins Dave Helman and Dane Brugler on this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast to preview the event. Before that, though, Dave and Dane highlight their takeaways from Indiana's thrilling 27-21 win over Miami in the CFP National Championship Game.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)2:00 CFP National Championship Game takeaways31:22 Shrine Bowl preview with Eric GalkoConnect with The Athletic Football ShowPlease take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Dave HelmanCo-Host: Dane BruglerExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Follow Dane on X: @dpbruglerTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

When you're one of the last eight teams playing football in a season, that final loss is hard to swallow. No matter how bright the future appears, there's no guarantee you get another shot quite like the one you just had. And yet, there's plenty of reason for optimism in 2026 and beyond for the Bills, 49ers, Texans and Bears after their respective Divisional Round losses. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen consider what the offseason ahead looks like for each of those teams on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)3:00 Buffalo Bills33:57 San Francisco 49ers43:49 Houston Texans59:05 Chicago Bears1:17:20 Jeff Hafley to the DolphinsConnect with The Athletic Football ShowPlease take our listener survey: theathletic.com/survey26YT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Robert MaysCo-Host: Derrik KlassenExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

The Buffalo Bills were great during Sean McDermott's nine-year run as coach, but not quite great enough. As such, the team relieved him of his duties as head coach two days after its Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos. Robert Mays and Dave Helman dive into what's next for the Bills on a special live edition of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

And then there were four. The Conference Championship games are set. Joining the Denver Broncos in the AFC are the New England Patriots after taking care of business against the Houston Texans on Sunday. On the NFC side of things, we get the third installment of Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, with the latter winning a thriller over the Chicago Bears in overtime on Sunday night. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman recap the Divisional Round Sunday games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)4:00 Rams beat Bears to advance to NFC Championship Game37:42 Patriots cruise past Texans to AFC Championship GameHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Divisional Round weekend never disappoints. The Seattle Seahawks turned in the most dominant performance of the day - maybe of the entire postseason - in a win over the San Francisco 49ers. What does the domination tell us about their path to the Super Bowl? And what's next for Kyle Shanahan and the oft-injured 49ers as they head into an early offseason? The Denver Broncos toppled the Buffalo Bills in an overtime thriller, benefiting from 4 uncharacteristic turnovers by Josh Allen. But the mood shifted quickly in Denver with the news that Bo Nix is out for the remainder of the postseason with a broken ankle. Who takes a majority of the blame for the Bills? And how much does the Broncos' ceiling change without Bo Nix? Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman discuss that and more on this live episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate):1:15 49ers-Seahawks4:30 Seahawks defense9:43 Brock Purdy15:04 Lumen Field/Seahawks fans21:27 Broncos-Bills / Bo Nix injury29:28 Sean Payton playcalling32:01 Josh Allen41:24 OfficiatingHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Four games, eight teams, all with legitimate designs on winning the Super Bowl. Friends, the best weekend of the NFL season is here. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman break down the Divisional Round games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)5:34 Bills-Broncos32:21 49ers-Seahawks53:30 Texans-Patriots1:18:57 Rams-BearsHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

When we last checked in on the coaching carousel on Black Monday, it seemed like it could actually be a relatively quiet year for coaching moves. Since then, John Harbaugh was fired and Mike Tomlin stepped down. Just like that, the two longest tenured NFL coaches were back out on the market, and two potentially premium jobs opened up. Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated and The MMQB joins Robert Mays to take a ride on the coaching carousel on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)4:21 Steelers19:20 Ravens34:44 John Harbaugh and the Giants job42:33 Falcons45:44 Titans56:24 Cardinals1:01:54 Browns1:09:12 Raiders1:12:00 Dolphins1:18:46 CoordinatorsHost: Robert MaysWith: Conor OrrExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.socialFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Derrik on X: @QBKlassFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Theme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

We're on the doorstep of the NFL Draft declaration deadline, and most of the big dominos have fallen. One big one, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, remains at time of the recording of this episode of The Athletic Football Show's Building the Beast. That's precisely where Dane Brugler and Dave Helman began their discussion. The guys also hit on the biggest decisions we do already have answers on, be they guys who are going to the draft or staying in school. Finally, they wrap up with a look at the CFP National Championship Game between Indiana and Miami.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)4:25 Waiting on Dante Moore17:09 Ty Simpson headed to the NFL...for now28:23 Guys headed to the 2026 NFL Draft40:42 Guys staying in school one more year52:22 Indiana/Miami CFP Championship Game previewConnect with The Athletic Football ShowYT: https://www.youtube.com/@TAFootballShowPodcasts: https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show/viewX: https://x.com/TA_FootballShowIG: https://www.instagram.com/tafootballshowTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tafootballshowDiscord: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshowCall us: 847-448-0701Email us: athleticfootballshow@gmail.comHost: Dave HelmanCo-Host: Dane BruglerExecutive Producer: Michael BellerVideo Producer: Katy DuffyAudio Producer: Michael BellerSocial Producer: Scott KrinchFollow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.socialFollow Dave on X: @davehelman_Follow Dane on X: @dpbruglerTheme song: HauntedWritten by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love SongsCourtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC