The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL Why did these eight teams flop in 2025?
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Dec 30, 2025 The hosts dive into the disappointing seasons of eight NFL teams, exploring how the Lions, Chiefs, and Ravens fell from Super Bowl favorites to underperformers. Key discussions include the Lions' injuries and coaching problems, the Cowboys’ defensive collapse, and the Bengals' struggles with quarterback health. They consider the Colts' alarming trade outcomes, the Vikings' QB growing pains, and the Falcons' offensive stagnation. Finally, they analyze whether the Ravens’ struggles are temporary and what fixes could restore these teams' fortunes.
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Lions' Collapse Fueled By OL And Injuries
- The Lions collapsed from injuries, offensive-line decline, and defensive personnel losses that increased volatility.
- Robert Mays and Derrik Klassen view the issues as fixable with OL help, health, and targeted depth additions.
Cowboys Offense Good, Defense In Crisis
- The Cowboys' offense remained elite while the defense was historically bad and tactically vanilla.
- Fixing personnel and scheme in the back seven is the Cowboys' urgent offseason task.
Buy Midlevel Defenders To Stabilize Bengals
- The Bengals must spend free-agent capital on mid-tier defensive veterans to stabilize the back seven.
- Robert Mays recommends targeting physical, reliable veterans at LB, safety, and edge to bring toughness.