The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Our Wild Card Weekend preview is so jam-packed, we had to separate it into two episodes. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dig into the three AFC games on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Chargers-Texans is a matchup of arguably the most overachieving and underachieving teams in the playoff field. Steelers-Ravens is a rubber match, sure, but it's also a game between one team that faded down the stretch, and one that proved it is among the Super Bowl favorites. Finally, Broncos-Bills pits two elite units—the Broncos defense and the Bills offense—against one another. Robert and Derrik dive deep and get you ready for Wild Card Weekend on this episode of TAFS. Rundown Chargers-Texans preview Steelers-Ravens preview Broncos-Bills preview Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 2024-25 edition of Black Monday brought with it three coach firings—Jerod Mayo in New England, Doug Pederson in Jacksonville and Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas. Those three teams, along with the Bears, Jets and Saints will be spending the next few weeks finding their new head coaches. How do we expect those searches to unfold, and what does what we already know about them say about each of the teams? Mike Sando joins Robert Mays to break it all down on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Patriots fire Jerod Mayo Jaguars fire Doug Pederson...but keep Trent Baalke Bears coaching search Jets coaching search Saints coaching search Colts retain Shane Steichen, Chris Ballard Dolphins retain Mike McDaniel, Chris Grier Giants retain Brian Daboll, Joe Schoen BREAKING NEWS: Raiders fire Antonio Pierce Titans fire Ran Carthon Lou Anarumo headlines coordinator firings Host: Robert Mays With: Mike Sando Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Mike on Bluesky: @sandonfl.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Mike on X: @SandoNFL 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The playoff puzzle was mostly put together going into Week 18, but there was still one huge piece that needed to be put in place. The Lions dropped that piece into the puzzle on Sunday night, knocking off the Vikings to lock up the top spot in the NFC. All that's left now is to put a bow on the regular season, and point ourselves toward the playoffs. That's exactly what Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen do on this episode of The Athletic Football Show. Rundown Lions take care of Vikings, lock up 1-seed in NFC The NFC South delivers in classic NFC South fashion The NFC playoff field The AFC playoff field 2025 NFL Draft order Patriots fire Jerod Mayo Dolphins, Colts not making any head coach or GM changes Did You See That?!? What Did We Learn Today? Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The regular season began four months ago with what very well could be an AFC Championship Game preview, Ravens at Chiefs. It ends with what very well could be an NFC Championship Game preview, Vikings at Lions. The location of that possible third meeting between division foes will be determined on Sunday night when they battle for regular season NFC supremacy. Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen dive deep on that game to kick off the Week 18 preview episode of The Athletic Football Show. The guys also discuss the remaining playoff spots up for grabs—AFC 7-seed and NFC South winner—choose their own adventure for the NFC Wild Card round, and consider the contrasting makeup of the playoff fields within the two conferences. Rundown Vikings-Lions preview Remembering the first Bucs-Saints game of the season Building our ideal NFC Wild Card Round matchups Bengals-Steelers preview The AFC 7-seed AFC's got the star QBs, NFC's got the expertly built teams Host: Robert Mays Co-Host: Derrik Klassen Executive Producer: Michael Beller Producer: Michael Beller Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show... Apple Spotify YouTube Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social Follow Robert on X: @robertmays Follow Derrik on X: @QBKlass 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices