The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL Early returns on five new offenses across the NFL
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Oct 2, 2025 Ollie Connolly, a writer and podcaster from The Read Optional, joins to delve into the transformations of five NFL offenses. They evaluate the Patriots' innovative play design under Josh McDaniels and Mac Jones' newfound mobility. The conversation shifts to the Bears, discussing Caleb Williams' development and the struggles of the offense as a whole. Ollie critiques the Jaguars for inconsistency despite promise, while praising the Seahawks' effective scheme and Sam Darnold's accuracy. Lastly, the duo highlights the Cowboys’ dynamic improvements and how small tweaks lead to big gains.
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Give Rookies Early Runway To Learn
- Start a rookie sooner rather than later to give them a longer runway to learn pro speed and blitz mechanics.
- Let early struggles be teaching moments so quarterbacks can study pressures and return stronger next season.
Patriots Fuse Power Spread And Classic Passing
- The Patriots fused a downhill QB-run power spread with old Brady-era passing concepts to create space and play-action leverage.
- That blend lets Mac Jones use rollout boots and designed rollouts to turn his legs into consistent positive plays.
Leverage The QB's Mobility For Safer Upside
- Josh McDaniels and Mac Jones use rollout and play-action to guarantee neutral-to-positive plays by weaponizing Jones's mobility.
- Taking easy completions and then exploding on shots produces a high upside, low-variance passing attack.