Overview of The Athletic Football Show — 2025 NFL Midseason Awards
This episode is The Athletic Football Show’s midseason awards discussion (hosts: Robert Mays, Derek Klassen, Dave Hellman). The three-panel conversation runs through the big individual awards (Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year, Rookies, “Protector” = offensive lineman, Coach/Assistant/Executive, and MVP). Many awards come down to two-man races; the hosts emphasize volume + efficiency metrics, usage/roles inside each offense/defense, and narrative (visibility, schedule, national TV) as tie-breakers.
Key takeaways (overall)
- This season has produced lots of surprising top performances — many awards feel like two-way races rather than clear landslides.
- Recurring tension: rate/efficiency vs. total/team impact. Examples: J.S.N. (historic WR efficiency + mega target share) vs. Jonathan Taylor (heavy workload, historic rushing efficiency).
- Narrative and visibility matter for award voting (national TV appearances, team success).
- Several under-the-radar names earn praise (line/assistant/executive work that’s reshaped teams).
Offensive Player of the Year
- Frontrunners: J.S.N. (repeatedly abbreviated as “JSN” in the show) and Jonathan Taylor (JT).
- Panel positions:
- Derek: JSN — unprecedented combination of volume + efficiency (very high yards-per-route and a huge target share).
- Robert: Jonathan Taylor — historic running-back efficiency on heavy workload (6.0 YPC pace, elite EPA-per-carry) and large impact on Colts’ overall offense (play-action usage, game-control role).
- Dave: Agreed the race is JSN vs. JT; sees it as a coin flip.
- Notable stats/arguments:
- JSN: extremely high yards-per-route (cited ~4.67), ~38% target share of his team, +20% of routes turning into first downs (historically extreme).
- JT: ~6.0 yards/carry on a heavy workload, best EPA-per-carry of the decade (~0.16), on pace for enormous touch totals and a historic TD pace.
Defensive Player of the Year
- Consensus: Miles Garrett is widely seen as the best defensive player in the NFL, but the panel spotlighted other candidates for variety.
- Panel picks (different takes):
- Dave: Would vote Miles Garrett, but highlights Aidan Hutchinson as a realistic candidate (pressure leader, Lions’ defensive centerpiece + strong TV schedule).
- Derek: Kyle Hamilton — positional versatility/position changes (nickel → safety → box) creates uniquely high value; a true “one-of-one” defender.
- Robert: Will Anderson Jr. — clear development into elite pass rusher (top pass-rush win rates, explosive quick pressures, improving technique + production).
- Themes:
- Garrett = best all-around defensive player; Hutchinson and Will Anderson Jr. = emerging pass-rush standouts; Kyle Hamilton = positional unicorn with huge schematic value.
- Key metrics mentioned: pressures, pass-rush win rate, quick-pressure rate, and snap-location usage (how teams scheme to hide or highlight players).
Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Names discussed: Tyler Warren (rookie tight end, Colts), “Ted Arroa McMillan” (name as used in transcript; touted for efficiency and first-down conversion), Emeka Ibuka, Jackson Dart, Colston Loveland.
- Panel lean:
- Strong case for Tyler Warren (stat-backed, multi-role usage: inline, slot, backfield; high yards/route run for a rookie TE; strong blocking impact). Multiple hosts favored Warren.
- “Ted Arroa McMillan” (as referenced on the show) was praised by one host for elite first-down conversion rate on targets and smooth play.
- Verdict: Tyler Warren is the panel favorite given production + blocking/usage profile; several other rookies (Loveland, Ibuka, Jackson Dart) remain in the running.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Primary contenders: Carson Swessinger (sometimes referenced as Carson Swessinger / Swessinger — Browns off‑ball linebacker) and Abdul Carter.
- Panel pick: Carson Swessinger (Browns) — praised for playing nearly every defensive snap, wearing the green dot (play-caller on-field), run stops, coverage competency, tackling/stops count among the league leaders for rookies.
- Other mentions: Abdul Carter (pressure leader among rookies) and Jihad Campbell (Eagles).
- Context: the defensive rookie crop felt “underwhelming” overall — only a handful of rookies have been full-time contributors — but Swessinger’s all-around game and snap share make him the standout.
Protector of the Year (offensive lineman)
- Leading names: Penei Sewell, Lane Johnson, Andrew Thomas, Damian Lewis, Quentin Nelson, centers Creed Humphrey and Zach Frazier also earned praise.
- Panel consensus: Penei Sewell and Andrew Thomas were the top candidates; Sewell got the most support this episode (exceptional run-blocking + elite pass protection metrics).
- Noted points:
- Lane Johnson: elite pass-pro reputation and numbers but missed significant time in a recent game, which opened door for Sewell.
- Damian Lewis has been dominating in run game and improved in pass pro this year — runner-up mentions.
Coach of the Year
- Top finalists: Shane Steichen (Colts), Mike McDonald (Seahawks), Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Dan Campbell mentioned.
- Panel pick: Shane Steichen — edge given for building/leading a top offense, play-calling impact, and organizational decisions that paid off in team success.
- Strong runner-up case: Mike McDonald (Seahawks) for defense-building and maximizing younger/limited personnel; Kyle Shanahan also receives major praise for keeping the 49ers competitive despite injuries to high-profile players (Nick Bosa, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle time missed).
Assistant Coach of the Year
- Front-runner: Clint Kubiak (Seahawks offensive coordinator) — credited with constructing the Seahawks’ highly efficient offense and getting enormous production out of Sam Darnold and a rebuilt receiving corps.
- Other mentions: Greg Olson / Rams coaching staff creativity on defense, Josh McDaniels (Patriots offense), Kelvin Sheppard (Lions defense), Vance Joseph (Broncos defense), Patrick Graham (Raiders), Nick Rolovich and Jesse Minter noted as strong coordinators.
Executive of the Year
- Short list: Chris Ballard (Colts), John Schneider (Seahawks).
- Panel split:
- Dave favored Chris Ballard for offseason hits (Coach/staffing/draft hits + identity of Colts).
- Robert and Derek leaned John Schneider — praised the Seahawks’ aggressive roster overhaul, trading DK Metcalf, landing Sam Darnold on a team-friendly contract, and several draft/free-agent moves that are synergizing.
MVP discussion (most debated)
- Frontrunners called out: Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, Sam Darnold — with Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes also in broader conversation.
- Panel highlights:
- Matthew Stafford: Robert’s pick this episode — exceptional pocket play, elite anticipation, huge downfield effectiveness even on non-play-action snaps. Stafford’s time-to-throw on non-play-action and ability to access any throw from the pocket were emphasized as rare traits for today’s game.
- Drake Maye: obvious candidate for value — huge total EPA impact, scrambler/creator, asked to do more for his team; last-week pick for some hosts.
- Sam Darnold: surprise contender on rate stats — extremely high efficiency (DVOA, big-play rate, EPA per dropback for many downfield throws); the panel noted the volume/context advantages (the Seahawks’ passing script/play-action usage).
- Justin Herbert: argued as “most valuable to his team” despite team struggles; production merits mention but team record lowers public award odds.
- Patrick Mahomes & Josh Allen still considered likely to be in the final MVP market conversation by season’s end.
- Bottom line: Stafford vs. Drake Maye is the main head-to-head now; Sam Darnold has a surprising rate-based case that shouldn’t be ignored.
Notable statistics & snippets pulled from the talk
- JSN: ~4.67 yards per route; ~38% target rate; ~20% of routes become first downs — historically extreme.
- Jonathan Taylor: ~6.0 yards/carry on a heavy workload; EPA/carry ~0.16 (compared to Derrick Henry’s 0.11 in a prior reference).
- Will Anderson Jr.: top pass-rush win rate, top quick-pressure metrics, very short time-to-pressure (2.51s cited).
- Penei Sewell: lowest one-on-one quick quarterback pressure allowed (NextGen reference) and elite run-blocking numbers (Sports Info Solutions).
- Carson Swessinger: ~95% defensive snap share for Browns, high run-stop totals / top-20 in stops, plays green-dot on the defense.
Notable narrative points the hosts emphasized
- Visibility matters: players on national TV and playoff-ready teams (e.g., Lions’ Hutchinson) can gain award traction.
- Coaching/staff hires can flip entire units (Steichen’s staff, Kubiak’s impacts, Seahawks’ defensive architecture under Mike McDonald).
- The modern defensive premium on versatile, hybrid players (e.g., Kyle Hamilton) and “nickel everywhere” defenses that don’t let offensive personnel dictate coverage/looks.
- Executive decisions are judged both on immediate season results (Schneider, Ballard) and long-run risk/reward (quarterback trades/contracts).
Conclusion
The midseason awards conversation reinforces that 2025 is full of tight races — many awards look like two- or three-person fights decided by narrative, usage, and visibility as much as raw metrics. If you want the short list to track:
- Offensive POY: JSN vs. Jonathan Taylor
- Defensive POY: Miles Garrett is baseline; Will Anderson Jr., Aidan Hutchinson, Kyle Hamilton all serious candidates
- Offensive ROY: Tyler Warren (but keep an eye on a few rookie WRs)
- Defensive ROY: Carson Swessinger (with Abdul Carter as a challenger)
- Protector: Penei Sewell / Andrew Thomas / Lane Johnson group
- Coach: Shane Steichen (close with Mike McDonald)
- Assistant: Clint Kubiak
- Executive: John Schneider vs. Chris Ballard
- MVP: Matthew Stafford vs. Drake Maye (Sam Darnold as surprise rate-case)
If you want specific stat lines or to pull any single award into a brief explainer (who’s most likely to win, what to watch over the next 6–8 games), ask for that and I’ll produce a focused, short breakdown.