The Athletic Football Show – Divisional Round Sunday Recap: Patriots handle Texans, Rams outlast Bears in OT

Date: January 19, 2026
Host(s): Robert Mays, with co-hosts Derrik Klassen and Dave Helman

Overview

This episode recaps an emotional and complex NFL Divisional Round Sunday, focusing on two dramatic matchups: the Rams’ overtime triumph over the Bears and the Patriots’ gritty win over the Texans. Hosts Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen, and Dave Helman dissect turning points, coaching strategies, defensive dominance, and quarterback volatility, exploring the “what-ifs” that defined these contests. The panel blends detailed analysis and candid Bears-fan emotion, offering both Xs-and-Os expertise and locker-room atmosphere.

1. Rams Outlast Bears in OT: Heartbreak and Hope for Chicago

Emotional Opening (02:20)

• Robert Mays (Bears fan) sums up the Bears’ season as a “phenomenal” ride that ended in heartbreak, calling it “a game where I’m going to go back and forth a thousand different times about all the little sliding doors moments” (02:22).
• The group acknowledges how the OT loss feels particularly cruel after the Bears' spirited run.

Key Game Moments and Analysis

Magic and Gut Punches (03:31–04:57)

• Derrik Klassen reflects on the surreal nature of the Bears’ season: “You do what Caleb did on the 4th and 4... You kind of think the magic is going to last. And it’s surreal to get that play and not get the win.” (03:31)
• Robert Mays on the emotional whiplash: “As soon as that interception happened, you’re probably playing with fire and that’s exactly what happened. But top to bottom, there is a lot to be impressed with with this entire game from the Bears.” (04:57)

Bears’ Defense: Strategic Brilliance and Fatigue (05:12–08:21)

• Dave Hellman: “The Bears were living and dying” with heavy pressure—“loading the line of scrimmage... some of them are DBs and we’re going to bring it.” The defense was relentless but wore down late (05:12).
• Robert Mays analyzes Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme toggling: “He was really on the front foot... dictating how that side of the ball would go” by blitzing on early downs and using DBs to disrupt (06:01).
• Praise for Bears’ young secondary: “They looked like the idealized version... all these young guys are going to play on the back end together and make life hard” (07:35–08:21, Derrik Klassen).

What-if Moments and Fourth Down Decisions (08:21–10:17)

• Robert revisits near-misses: “Rome drops that ball on the goal line on third down... Ben Johnson goes for it on fourth, but maybe should’ve taken the field goal. I don’t really have any issue with him going for it...” (08:21)
• Derrik voices tactical reservations: “I don’t like the bully ball on fourth and one... I’d like to get Caleb on the move in a situation like that because of his mobility.” (10:17)

Memorable Defensive Performances (11:34–13:28)

• Recognition for Rams defenders, especially Omar Spates and Cam Curl: “He played a phenomenal game and did a really good job making sure he could take away a couple of explosives the Bears wanted” (12:07–13:28, Dave Hellman).

Caleb Williams: Heroics and Youthful Errors (17:35–24:33)

• Mays on Williams’ high-variance style: “When it isn’t incredibly good and explosive, shit like that can happen... That’s when I was saying the other week that Caleb is arguably the most entertaining player in the league—it’s because there’s such high variance when the ball goes downfield” (23:23).
• Mistakes were a mix of youthful inaccuracy and guts: “Post-snap, some of his decision making and accuracy was frustrating, but I thought pre-snap he was nails” (24:11, Dave Hellman).

Was Going for Two in Regulation an Option? (21:45)

• The panel debates whether the Bears could have gambled to avoid OT:
  • “The short yardage stuff had been so bad all game... that’s why I was a little bit spooked by that” (21:55, Mays).
  • “There is something romantic about someone’s going to win, someone’s going to lose on one snap... but I don’t have an issue with the way they played it” (23:02, Klassen).

Season Reflection and Silver Linings (25:01–34:35)

• Mays: “No moral victories... but I think it’s really hard not to be satisfied with the season overall and what this year was for the Bears.” (25:01)
• Comparison to other teams who built successfully year-over-year: “You kind of build incrementally and you can take these steps. The fact that the Bears by the end of the season finished fifth in weighted offensive DVOA... there’s a nugget of something there you can truly believe in.” (30:23, 31:13)
• “Ben Johnson has been the architect of an offense that has finished top five in weighted offensive DVOA for the last four years. That is the stuff that can have staying power.” (33:46, Mays)

Fan Perspective and Community (34:35–35:50)

• Mays and the co-hosts celebrate the ride: “The Bears have been a factory of sadness caliber franchise for quite some time... They won 11 games.” (28:58, Klassen)
• “What an incredible ride... I said if the consolation to the Bears losing is I get Rams–Seahawks 3, I can live with that reality.” (35:04, Derrik and Mays)

2. Patriots 28, Texans 16: Defensive Dominance and Stroud’s Collapse

Game Overview and Oddities (40:53–43:07)

• “This was a weird, weird football game... most turnovers in a playoff game since Panthers–Cardinals in 2015, and that was with five minutes left in the third quarter.” (41:11, Hellman)
• Mays sheds light on the Patriots’ strange offensive efficiency: “The Patriots’ drive conversion rate was 52%... Since 2010, only 10 games have been that low and scored 28+ points... It felt like the Patriots did absolutely nothing outside three touchdown drives.” (41:35)

Key Patriots Touchdowns (43:07–44:41)

• Booty’s one-handed TD over Stingley a highlight: “For Booty to do it like that against Stingley... up until that drive, Stingley was basically pitching a perfect game.” (44:09, Hellman)
• Remarkable stat: “Since 2024, Derek Stingley has allowed two catches for 86 yards and a touchdown on 34 targets of 20+ air yards vs all receivers who aren’t Kayshon Booty. Against Booty: two catches on two targets for 72 yards and two touchdowns.” (44:19, Klassen)

Texans’ Offensive Meltdown and Stroud's Struggles (47:36–55:36)

• CJ Stroud’s alarming regression:
  • “It got so bad, I wondered if they could keep sending him out there... that’s how bad it got today.” (47:36–48:53, Mays)
  • Dave Hellman: “He feels the offense is not going to be able to get explosive or consistent gains if he’s not doing something insane... He will not let anything die anymore.” (48:53)
• Mays theorizes post-concussion discomfort and frantic movement: “When you watch him in some games before and after the concussion, it’s closer to what we saw today... Without that sort of option, there was just a discomfort.” (50:32–51:15)
• Turnover breakdown: “He threw every kind of interception... the Davis one, out of the two minute, the pick-six—an insane decision... even the one deflected over the middle, it’s not a good ball.” (55:36, Dave Hellman)

Patriots Defense: Championship Caliber (57:14–58:57)

• Multiple voices praise the Patriots’ evolving defensive schemes:
  • “The pressure plan was pretty good in this game... just a lot of DB pressures... If their corners are going to play 85% as well as they did today and they’re going to start being a really interesting pressure team, they are a much scarier team.” (57:14, Hellman)
  • “This is two games in a row where they have undressed an NFL offense during a playoff game... you dominated two straight weeks on that side of the ball.” (58:57, Mays)

Patriots’ Ball Security Concerns (60:57–62:08)

• Both hosts note Drake May’s fumble issue:
  • “Drake May’s got to hold on to the football. If they play an offense with a pulse at some point during the playoffs... it’s going to come back to get you.” (60:57, Mays)
  • “His one Achilles heel is he’s going to hang in the pocket... If you can knock his arm, he’s probably going to give up the ball.” (61:30, Hellman)

Looking Ahead and Final Thoughts (63:13–64:11)

• The hosts marvel at the Patriots’ playoff run—now forced to run a gauntlet of top defenses:
  • “For most of the season, they didn’t play many good defenses—now, Chargers, Texans, Broncos, Seahawks (potentially) in four straight weeks.” (62:08, Mays)
  • “Even on a rough day, to have those drives against the Texans isn’t something very many opponents have been able to do.” (63:32, Klassen)

3. Quotes & Timestamps: Notable Moments

• “I’m going to go back and forth a thousand different times about all the little sliding doors moments.” — Robert Mays (02:22)
• “When that happened and just the gut punch that it must have been to the Rams, you kind of think the magic is going to last. And it’s surreal to get that play and not get the win.” — Derrik Klassen (03:31)
• “The play from the Bears defensive backs over the course of this game, for the most part they were phenomenal...” — Robert Mays (06:01)
• “Cam Curl, his discipline on that play was incredible... I just thought he played a phenomenal game.” — Dave Hellman (12:07)
• “When it isn’t incredibly good and explosive, shit like that can happen... That’s why Caleb is arguably the most entertaining player in the league.” — Derrik Klassen (23:23)
• “The Bears have been a factory of sadness caliber franchise for quite some time... They won 11 games.” — Derrik Klassen (28:58)
• “Ben Johnson has been the architect of an offense that has finished top five in weighted offensive DVOA for the last four years. That is the stuff that can have staying power.” — Robert Mays (33:46)
• “No element of the game was stranger than whatever the hell was going on with CJ Stroud.” — Robert Mays (47:36)
• “He feels the offense is not going to be able to get explosive or consistent gains if he’s not doing something insane... He will not let anything die anymore.” — Dave Hellman (48:53)
• “Drake May’s got to hold on to the football... If they play an offense with a pulse at some point during the playoffs... it’s going to come back to get you.” — Robert Mays (60:57)

4. Segment Guide

• 02:20–39:00 – Rams vs. Bears Recap:
  • Bears’ heartbreak, defensive schemes, key moments, missed opportunities, and season retrospection.
• 40:53–64:50 – Patriots vs. Texans Recap:
  • Statistical oddities, Patriots’ selective excellence, Stroud’s struggles, defense as difference-maker, playoff implications.

5. Tone & Atmosphere

The discussion fuses analytical depth with raw Bears-fan emotion, mixing technical Xs and Os, references to advanced stats, and genuine excitement or frustration. Mays is both conscientious host and suffering fan, while Klassen and Hellman provide balance—sober, wry, and honest about football randomness and coaching decisions. The tone is accessible but never shallow, with heartfelt appreciation for big moments and the communal nature of football fandom.

6. Conclusion

The episode captures the agony and ecstasy of NFL playoff football. The Bears’ emotional, what-might-have-been loss gives way to hope for sustained growth under Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. The Patriots’ uniquely ugly but winning performance signals a defensive resurgence and sets up a fascinating AFC Championship matchup. The hosts expertly balance narrative, numbers, tactics, and stories—making the show compelling for diehards and casuals alike.