The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL

Mitchell Schwartz sits in for Nate Tice on this mailbag edition of The Athletic Football Show. He and Robert Mays tackle questions on models for offensive progress, best builds for a running back room, the traits that set elite position coaches apart from the rest, and more. Robert also welcomes on Titans beat writer Joe Rexrode to discuss the DeAndre Hopkins signing.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Mitch on Twitter: @MitchSchwartz71Subscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/MAYS and get on your way to being your best self. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Playcallers - a five-part podcast series that explores the innovation, competition and sometimes even self-destruction inside the N.F.L.’s youngest coaching family.In Episode 1, host Jourdan Rodrigue details the origins of the Shanahan/McVay offensive system, which over time grew into the most popular in the sport. Unique circumstances push Kyle Shanahan to start to evolve this system as he joins up with other young coaches in Tampa Bay, Houston and Washington. A collision of forces, dysfunction and talent culminates in the offensive explosion (and then implosion) in Washington with rookie quarterback Robert Griffin the Third.Voices in the episode include Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Matt LaFleur, Raheem Morris and Robert Griffin the Third.Playcallers is presented by Miller Lite. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit millerlite.com/playcallers.Celebrate Responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once candidates for the same head coaching jobs, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay's dynamic gets complicated as they turn into NFC rivals in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Host Jourdan Rodrigue goes inside how both coaches' modern offenses take shape and the untold stories of McVay's hiring process by the Rams. Eventually, McVay's Rams take the NFL by storm in 2017-18. But all the while, one of the greatest coaches in NFL history is lying in wait to teach McVay a humiliating lesson in Super Bowl LIII...just a couple of years after Shanahan's own Super Bowl heartbreak at the hands of that same veteran coach.Voices in the episode include McVay, Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel, Les Snead, Kevin Demoff, Andrew Whitworth, Mina Kimes and Steve Wyche.Playcallers is presented by Miller Lite. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit millerlite.com/playcallers.Celebrate Responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How far can Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay go to evolve their own offenses? Each coach hires a defensive coordinator who is their perfect schematic opposite. In San Francisco, Shanahan and Robert Saleh's epic practice battles shape what are now the NFL's best defenses. In Los Angeles, McVay's and Brandon Staley's schemes clash as McVay becomes wholly obsessed with finding out how his offense can be solved. Host Jourdan Rodrigue studies the collision of apex systems and how the ripple effects start to shape each team - and the entire NFL.Voices in the episode include McVay, Shanahan, Saleh, Staley, Thomas Brown, Andrew Whitworth, Mina Kimes, and Steve Wyche.Playcallers is presented by Miller Lite. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit millerlite.com/playcallers.Celebrate Responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean McVay becomes the first coach from this coaching family to win the Super Bowl, but it costs him more personally than he could have realized. Before McVay gets to the championship, he has to exorcise his "Kyle Shanahan demons" in the NFC Championship game. Shanahan and Mike McDaniel built their offense into a versatile, punishing group as McVay's own system centers around the flourish of the passing game. McDaniel, who becomes the Dolphins head coach in 2022, starts stretching his legs after so much time working under Shanahan. Meanwhile, Matt LaFleur's own Packers offense is built around compromise and a Hall of Fame quarterback. In speaking with host Jourdan Rodrigue, each head coach opens up about how play-calling has shaped their identity.Voices in the episode include McVay, Shanahan, LaFleur, McDaniel, Kevin O'Connell, Zac Taylor, Kevin Demoff, Les Snead, Raheem Morris, Andrew Whitworth, Mina Kimes and Steve Wyche.Playcallers is presented by Miller Lite. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit millerlite.com/playcallers.Celebrate Responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A look at the modern NFL shows that variants of this offensive system - and even the defensive systems it pulled into its innovation loop - are everywhere. What happens when it becomes too saturated? How do coaches know when to jump into what comes next? Host Jourdan Rodrigue also looks at the unintended consequences the explosion in popularity of coaches from this offense have had on the NFL's hiring practices. Meanwhile, coaches across the league are candid about how they try to evolve and adapt in a sport that endlessly moves in patterns and cycles.Voices in the episode include Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, Kevin O'Connell, Thomas Brown, Kevin Demoff, Les Snead, Andrew Whitworth and Robert Griffin the Third.Playcallers is presented by Miller Lite. To get Miller Lite delivered right to your door, visit millerlite.com/playcallers.Celebrate Responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Midsummer is the time of swimming pools, cookouts, vacations...and fantasy football prep! Robert Mays welcomes Josh Norris and Hayden Winks from Underdog Fantasy to this episode of The Athletic Football Show to help you start getting ready for your fantasy leagues. The guys run through the first 10 rounds of a typical draft, highlighting one player in each round who can help you claim your league's trophy this season.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Josh on Twitter: @JoshNorrisFollow Hayden on Twitter: @HaydenWinksSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Training camp is right around the corner, and there are more than a few intriguing free agents available. What are the best fits for DeAndre Hopkins, Dalvin Cook, Jadeveon Clowney, and the other free agents we know will be playing football in 2023? JP Acosta from SB Nation joins Robert Mays to help find these guys some new homes on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow JP on Twitter: @acosta32_jpSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone knows that the Eagles and Saints are masters of the salary cap. But what does that really mean? What's the practical cost of all that alchemy? Brad Spielberger, salary cap analyst for Pro Football Focus, joins Robert Mays to dive deep into the details on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Brad on Twitter: @PFF_BradSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Mays and Nate Tice sneak in one more mailbag before the holiday. The guys discuss Travis Kelce's contract value, best teams to come up short of winning a Super Bowl, when you're too old to wear a jersey, and more.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.