The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL Monday Mailbag: The peak of fandom, breaking losing cycles, Bill and Ted for the NFL, and more
13 snips
Mar 30, 2026 They answer fan mail about when fandom feels best at different life stages. They debate how a struggling franchise can break its losing cycle and what ownership or hires really change. They imagine bringing legendary past players into the modern NFL. They dissect running back depth, tackle-to-guard conversions, and quarterback evaluation and roster-building tradeoffs.
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Quarterback Evaluation Depends On The Whole Offensive Ecosystem
- 'Can't evaluate the quarterback' is real but nuanced: bad supporting cast and poor coaching/staff both obscure QB assessment.
- Robert Mays compares Jared Goff 2016 and Trevor Lawrence 2021 as cases where ecosystem muddied QB evaluation.
Bill And Ted Jim Thorpe And Bob Hayes Experiment
- Dave Helman would Bill and Ted Jim Thorpe and Bob Hayes to see how elite-era track speed translates to modern football.
- He imagines modern training and coaching (Kyle Shanahan, Mike McDaniel) unlocking legendary athletes' impact today.
Showcase Lavonte David On The Cowboys
- Robert Mays would bring 2013 Lavonte David to the modern Cowboys to showcase how dominant David was.
- Mays argues visible primetime games on Dallas would cement Lavonte David's legacy for future fans.