Some takes are meticulously crafted, with each ingredient perfectly balanced to create a rational, thought-out, deeply held belief. Others are slapped together, thrown in the oven for, you know, whatever length of time feels right, and dropped down on the table to consume at your own risk. These are the latter. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman offer up their half-baked takes for the 2025 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown7:00 Micah Parsons isn't getting traded and Jerry Jones isn't serious about winning football games (this is a fully baked take)10:43 The Niners will win 12+ games17:02 The Vikings will finish last in the NFC North24:45 This is the year the Steelers crash out35:42 The NFC will have massive playoff turnover this season41:50 This is the season the Packers go nuclear48:14 Abolish the draft so players like Myles Garrett don't get stuck on teams like the Browns forever55:57 The NFL needs a leaguewide standardized bye week1:05:40 Bo Nix was just kinda getting away with it last year, and that's not gonna happen this year1:15:56 Zac Robinson is this year's Liam CoenHost: Robert MaysCo-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football ShowAppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:18:16
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1:18:16
We're ready to get hurt again: The teams, players and ideas we just can't quit
We should know better. We really should. We've been at this for a long time, and we know that believing in certain teams and players is bad for us. And yet, come this time of year, we can't help ourselves. We go back to that well. So who are we ready to be hurt by again this season? Dave Helman and Derrik Klassen open up and get vulnerable on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:03:43
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1:03:43
TAFS Goes Camping: Conversations with The Athletic's Eagles and Jets beat writers
Robert Mays went to so many training camps in the previous week, we had to split this weekend's Beat Writer Notebook into two episodes. On this edition of the Beat Writer Notebook, Robert speaks to Brooks Kubena and Zack Rosenblatt, The Athletic's Eagles and Jets beat writers, respectively. What do the Eagles do to live up to a Super Bowl encore? How does Aaron Glenn transform the Jets? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Host: Robert MaysWith: Brooks Kubena, Zack RosenblattExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Brooks on Bluesky: @bkubena.bsky.socialFollow Zack on Bluesky: @zackblatt.bksy.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Brooks on X: @BKubenaFollow Zack on X: @ZackBlattTheme 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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49:37
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49:37
TAFS Goes Camping: Conversations with The Athletic's Seahawks, Falcons and Ravens beat writers
Robert Mays began the previous week in Seattle. He ended it in New York, by way of the southeast and mid-Atlantic. So, yeah, he's been around a bit. Robert checks in with Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall and Jeff Zrebiec—the Athletic's beat writers for the Seahawks, Falcons, Ravens and Eagles, respectively—on this edition of the Beat Writer Notebook. What's the ceiling for the very good Seahawks defense? What are the expectations for Michael Penix in his first season as the starter? How do the Ravens finally get over the hump? Learn the answers to those questions, and a whole lot more, on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)4:27 Seattle Seahawks41:36 Atlanta Falcons1:07:14 Baltimore RavensHost: Robert MaysWith: Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall, Jeff Zrebiec, Brooks KubenaExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.socialFollow Robert on X: @robertmaysFollow Michael-Shawn on X: @MikeDugarFollow Josh on X: @JoshTheAthleticFollow Jeff on X: @jeffzrebiecTheme 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:26:23
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1:26:23
The team DNA changers for the 2025 season
Most offseason acquisitions are going to bring some change to their new teams. There's a reason why their new teams went out and got them, after all. A select few of those acquisitions, however, aren't simply going to bring a little change. They're going to completely change their new team's DNA on their side of the ball, opening up an entirely different style of play and new look for the unit. Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman run through their top DNA changers for the 2025 season on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Rundown (timestamps are approximate)5:30 Cam Bynum12:14 Poona Ford19:47 Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga28:54 Haason Reddick34:30 Will Fries and Ryan Kelly41:44 Omarion Hampton48:42 Andre Cisco57:23 Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.1:06:03 Armand MembouHosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave HelmanExecutive Producer: Michael BellerProducer: Michael BellerSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeFollow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
About 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 scenes, you’ll get an in-depth look at all things NFL on The Athletic Football Show, available wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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