The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL Lessons learned from this season's conference title game participants
41 snips
Jan 29, 2026 
Bill Barnwell, ESPN writer known for data-driven league analysis, and Nate Tice, Yahoo film-focused analyst, break down what made this season's final four teams click. They discuss explosive-play differential, field-position and special-teams swings, tight ends who block, interior defensive line importance, formation tactics like empty/base to force coverage, and multiple roster paths to winning.
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Explosives Drive Modern Success
- Explosive-play differential now drives winning teams more than raw yardage or red-zone efficiency.
- Four of the top five teams in explosive-play differential reached the conference title weekend.
Chase Pass Explosives And Rushing Thresholds
- Target ~14% explosive pass-rate and ~40% rushing success to hit reliable offensive thresholds.
- Use explosive plays early in downs to relieve third-down pressure and sustain drives.
Blocking Tight Ends Are Back In Demand
- Bigger, blocking-capable tight ends regained value as defenses shrink and nickel more often.
- Strong-side runs and tight-end-led movement increasingly create run/edge mismatches.