The Lead

The San Francisco 49ers came into this season expecting to make a second straight trip to the Super Bowl, but so far they’ve been hit by a wave of injuries to star players, including Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Matt Barrows to look at all of the issues that have derailed the 49ers season — including the recent news that they have to play their upcoming home games in Arizona — and how Kyle Shanahan’s team has managed to stay alive. Follow Matt Barrows’s coverage of the 49ers: https://theathletic.com/author/matt-barrows/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The pandemic threw the NFL into a bit chaos this week, when an outbreak on the Baltimore Ravens caused their Thanksgiving Day game against the Steelers to be rescheduled multiple times, and eventually played the following Wednesday (with a severely depleted Ravens squad). The Athletic’s Lindsay Jones joins us to talk about one of the stranger games in NFL history, how the Ravens held up in these challenging circumstances, and what the game revealed about the league’s approach to dealing with the coronavirus.Follow Lindsay Jones's NFL coverage:https://theathletic.com/author/lindsay-jones/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Ohio State Buckeyes have played just one game in the last three and a half weeks, but in his limited opportunities this season, Justin Fields has been spectacular. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Bill Landis to discuss what the shortened season means for Ohio State’s national title hopes, how Fields has brought a baseball skill set to football, and whether the star QB still has a chance to win the Heisman. Read Bill Landis’s story about the impact of baseball for Justin Fields: https://theathletic.com/2196977/2020/11/16/justin-fields-ohio-state-buckeyes-quarterback-baseball/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Los Angeles Clippers lost a key player from their rotation recently when Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell decided to join LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rival Los Angeles Lakers. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Jovan Buha to look at how Harrell’s replacement, Serge Ibaka, might make the Clippers even better as a team, and how his rare friendship with Kawhi Leonard could be the missing ingredient to solve the chemistry issues that plagued the team last year. Read Jovan Buha’s story about Serge Ibaka and Kawhi Leonard: https://theathletic.com/2213637/2020/11/22/serge-ibaka-clippers-kawhi-leonard/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Diego Maradona, arguably the greatest soccer player of all time, passed away last week from a heart attack at the age of 60. It's possible that no athlete is more loved by his home country or more symbolic of its hopes and dreams than Maradona and Argentina -- and yet the diminutive playmaker also developed his fair share of critics. The Athletic’s Ed Malyon, who got his start as a football journalist in Argentina, joins us to discuss why Maradona is such a transcendent figure there, and why we will never see someone quite like him again.More from Ed Malyon:https://theathletic.com/author/ed-malyon/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Week 12 of the NFL season had some strange twists and turns -- even before play began. The Athletic’s Arif Hasan joins us to break down a strange weekend of action, including how the Vikings kept their playoff hopes alive (after starting the season 1-5), what’s going on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' inconsistent offense, and how Bronco's rookie wide receiver and usual practice squad member Kendall Hinton did when he suited up for Denver at quarterback due to Covid concerns.More from Arif Hasan:https://theathletic.com/author/arif-hasan/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last week, Onyeka Okongwu’s NBA dream came true when the USC star was drafted #6 overall by the Atlanta Hawks. The Athletic’s Seth Davis interviewed Okongwu earlier this year and joined us to talk about how the young power forward went from relative unknown to college star, and how a family tragedy gave him renewed focus. (This episode originally aired June 30, 2020.)Read Seth Davis's profile of Okongwu:https://theathletic.com/1898877/2020/06/30/heralded-but-not-hyped-onyeka-okongwu-moves-to-the-top-of-his-nba-draft-class/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This spring, Alex Charlton — a football coach at Division II Midwestern State in Texas — made a bold decision. He left behind his coaching job to work as a nurse in Manhattan — in a COVID section of the emergency room — at a time when the coronavirus pandemic in New York was particularly deadly. The Athletic’s Chris Vannini tells us Charlton’s story. (This episode originally aired on July 10, 2020)Read Chris Vannini’s story about Alex Charlton: https://theathletic.com/1917145/2020/07/10/alex-charlton-midwestern-state-football-coach-nurse-covid-19-new-york/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The men’s college basketball season tips off tonight, and the top ranked team, which opens on Thursday against Kansas, is the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil recently spent time with the team and head coach Mark Few (who has been at the helm for two decades), and she joins us to explain how the small school in Spokane, Washington grew into a perennial powerhouse, and why this Zags team is well positioned to win a national championship -- if the season makes it that far.More from Dana O'Neil:https://theathletic.com/author/dana-oneil/?source=theleadpodcastSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts narrowly defeated Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, and their defense came up big once again. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Zak Keefer to look at how the Colts have rebuilt around defensive stars including DeForest Buckner and Darius Leonard, and the impact that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has had on the team dramatically transforming its identity. Read Zak Keefer’s story about Matt Eberflus: https://theathletic.com/2204578/2020/11/18/matt-eberflus-bet-on-himself-then-became-one-of-the-nfls-best-coordinators/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.