Half-baked takes for the 2026 season

Here’s a simple recipe for baking a take: 1. Have a thought or feeling. 2. Look up facts, stats, etc to support or disprove that thought or feeling. 3. Ponder the scope of the thought or feeling (a day, a season, a decade). 4. Mix in some outside opinions. 5. Enjoy your take. For this episode, we’re stopping about halfway through step two. Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman share their half-baked takes for the 2026 season.

0:00 Welcome to the show

2:52 Coby Bryant injury

7:10 Baltimore Ravens & Maxx Crosby/Trey Hendrickson

13:56 DaVonta Smith

19:31 San Francisco 49ers & Ricky Pearsall

27:55 Washington Commanders & Jayden Daniels

31:29 Mike McDaniel

34:12 Houston Texans

42:17 Field goals

47:47 Los Angeles Rams

54:10 Natural grass fields

57:46 Picking playoff teams

1:03:17 New Orleans Saints

1:06:21 Dak Prescott

Join The Athletic Football Show Discord Server: http://discord.gg/theathleticfootballshow

Host: Robert Mays

Co-Hosts: Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Executive Producer: Michael Beller

Senior Producer: Katy Duffy

Social Producer: Scott Krinch

Follow Robert on Bluesky: @robertmays.bsky.social

Follow Derrik on Bluesky: @qbklass.bsky.social

Follow Dave on Bluesky: @davehelman.bsky.social

Follow Robert on X: @RobertMays

Follow Dave on X: @DaveHelman_

Theme song: Haunted

Written by Dylan Slocum, Trevor Dietrich, Ruben Duarte, Kyle McAulay, and Meredith VanWoert / Performed by Spanish Love Songs

Courtesy of Pure Noise / By arrangement with Bank Robber Music, LLC

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.