Hi Folks,
We do a lot of really insightful, thoughtful and serious features here at Footballguys with some very smart people thinking deeply for you. This is not one of those features.
This is Random Shots and it's a few pages of me downloading my goofy and dysfunctional mental hard drive that gets stuffed with way too many random items from too many hours watching, reading about and listening to football every weekend and throughout the week. It's the only way I keep relatively sane. Here's hoping it has some value for you.
We'll see. Now let's get to it.
J
What the Browns need is a QB Savior. Might as well get a guy that looks the part.
The many faces of Bill Belichick...
I love it that Carson Wentz looks like the intern in your accounting office.
Mike Ditka showed up Monday with a beard.
We threw a red cap on and he's full on Steve Zissou...
Thanks to Footballguys Rob Logan and Justin Bailey for that one.
Just LeGarrett Blount with the Musket Dudes.
Cam Newton's Hat Game is STRONG.
You know it's September in Oakland when it's 2nd and 8 from Second Base.
Another week and another Sean Payton picture that needs no caption.
I told you last week Antonio Brown thought they had the 10:20 PM game...
He was fined by the league for the twerk dance (which Brown labeled the "Boomin'") and also for the baby blue cleats.
ESPN asked him about the fines and he replied, "Nothing to a boss."
Word.
That calls for a Randy Moss throwback of "Straight Cash Homie"
Reported from the New England sideline moments after Jimmy Garoppolo's injury...
That's a lot of charts on the sidelines...
J.J. Watt gave us this milestone in Random Shots history a few years ago as the Texans prepared to face the Patriots.
Never Forget, Indeed.
Denver Fans. This is called Dodging A Bullet.
A Dick's Sporting Goods in the Washington DC area ran a promotion featuring linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and running back Clinton Portis. This is the email headline they sent to announce the event.
I wonder if Kerrigan knows he's a "former" Washington Linebacker...
Thanks to Footballguy Tripp Taylor for that one.
Music note of the week. Folks seemed to like these making a return so I'll keep it going.
Beck's Devil's Haircut from the Odelay album changed my musical life 20 years ago. Click here to listen.
It's amazing to me to see him still creating awesome music. This new single called "Wow" is right back in the Odelay vibe. Plus the video is awesome. Check it out here.
This weekend was rough for injuries. Our guys covering the injuries and writing upgrades / downgrades looked like this Sunday night.
Along with a lot of Fantasy Owners...
Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa made a sweet sideline catch Thursday night.
It's the football equivalent of a snowcone catch in baseball.
God Bless Elvis Bills Fan.
You could tell he was a long time fan as he was yelling "Let's go BLUUUUUUUUUE" as the Bills made a goal line stand.
Even though the Bills looked like this.
Footballguys reader Floyd sent me this pic of the "Shaming Post" from his brother's league. Most of the guys live in the same neighborhood he said and the owner with the low score for the week gets this planted in his front yard for the week. Love it. It's what I talked about last week with local leagues being the foundation for all of Fantasy Football.
Of all the spots for a quarterback to be, this is probably one of the least optimal. Tough Defense. On The Road. And 97 yards to go for a touchdown.
The winner of the Ferris Bueller Life Moves Pretty Fast Award for this week:
Is Darrelle Revis.
Elite athletes have small windows of "eliteness". It's one thing to be burned by A.J. Green. But Marquise Goodwin is a different story. And yes, Goodwin's super fast. But Revis has handled plenty of super fast guys in the past. I see a safety position in his near future. And there's no shame in that. Good lesson for all of us. Do what you can with what you have. And when what you have changes a little, adjust what you can do. See how that works?
Mike Greenberg of ESPN is one of my favorite guys. But his outrage over the 49ers playing a late late game Monday night and then having to travel East to Carolina for a 1 PM kickoff seemed kind of odd. I get it. It's better to have a short trip. But it's not like this guy drove them to Charlotte.
The St. Louis University Billikens have a new mascot.
And it's kind of weird...
Tom Brady's got plenty of free time these days so he went back to the University of Michigan for a game Saturday. It was the first time Brady had been back since 1999. If nothing else, the visit produced this gem:
Rick Osentoski / USA Today Sports
This looks like a scene from one of those romantic comedies about half way through when things start to come together and the sappy music plays as the video rolls in slow motion.
On that note, Brady and Uggs are making the most of his time off...
Another adverstiser jumping on the topic is JBL with a fun headphone ad and the real truth behind Deflategate... Click here to see the video.
So maybe Matt Forte isn't as washed up as we thought...
The visiting Dolphins had trouble with the headset communications in Foxboro.
The Internet is shocked.
We adopted a new stray dog a few weeks ago and we named him Max. He's big and goofy and lovable. But this morning, he didn't have any idea what was in store for him as he was headed to the Veterinarian for what Gary Larson of the Far Side would call "getting tutored"...
Poor Guy.
For any of you who don't know Gary Larson or the Far Side, don't do another thing before you google it or better yet, buy some of his books. Just pick any one of them and you can't go wrong.
For Max, this is the one I was talking about...
When Alfred Morris played for Washington, he'd spend time before the game with the FedEx Field workers. As a visiting Cowboy Sunday, he was back with the guys.
Love this. Stay true.
When you're a veteran kicker, this is pretty much the extent of your physical exertion.
Although let's be honest. This is about all Janikowski's ever had to do...
Click here to wait for it...
I love the Team Stuff. This was a cool moment between Shaun Hill and Sam Bradford before Monday's game.
Ian Rapoport with the difference between Real NFL and Fantasy Football.
I know it's hard to believe, but what's good for our Fantasy Teams isn't always what's good for the real NFL Team. What we call a "Running Back By Committee Nightmare" the team calls "Depth".
Devin Hester doing Devin Hester things. Even if it was in a Ravens uniform.
The Internet loved Randy Moss' "scowling face" towards Trent Dilfer in the first week as Dilfer talked about Colin Kaepernick.
Most of that came from people who've never seen Randy Moss before. People that have seen Randy Moss before know that's pretty much how looks all the time when he's not talking. You can see him here as Dilfer talked about coaches going for the two point conversion.
Obviously SEETHING...
We have real issues in our country that need to be addressed. Making up fake catfights between ESPN guys is not helping.
The Bills fired offensive coordinator Greg Roman last Friday. Apparently, Roman's job as the offensive coordinator was to also stop opposing teams from scoring.
As Ian Rapoport reports, there were meetings between owners Terry and Kim Pegula and key players. Without Rex Ryan present.
I think I'm with Oprah...
And if I'm Rex or Rob Ryan, I don't think I'd be remodeling the kitchen in my Buffalo home anytime soon...
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot fumbled twice in Sunday's game. Owner Jerry Jones was asked if the fumbles would affect Elliot's workload.
"No. They will not, at all," Jones told 105.3 The Fan, a CBS Sports Radio station. "He's a big man and he carries it properly. He does a good job of finishing, which means he's trying to give the tacklers more than he's getting in terms of how you absorb hits. All of that makes him a sound ball carrier fumbling wise."
Jones may have said those words but he's an old school guy. I'm betting inside he was feeling more like John Heisman.
The word out of Dallas last week was they wanted to create offensive plays that would allow Dez Bryant to "get open quickly". That's a great idea. I wonder if any of the other teams have discovered this secret to offensive success?
Adrian Peterson is one of the best players in the NFL. Is it too much to ask to ask for a cart here?
This one's not a joke. Edelman was the #3 QB Sunday.
I don't love everything about the NFL. In fact, one thing I hate about the league is that we put guys on the pedestal who might not be worthy of a pedestal at all. They get the accolades only because they can run fast or jump high. And guys like Josh McCown get mocked. It's a 180 from what I think is valued in real life. I know the object of the game is to be good at Football. But I hate how we as a society seem to miss what we really should value. Click here to see McCown talk about something I admire.
Thanks to Footballguy Brian Sumner for that one.
Cody Kessler and Jacoby Brissett are expected to start NFL games before Jared Goff.
Smoking Jay Cutler was BACK Monday night...
More wisdom from Belichick.
It's just another extension of "Do Your Job". Love it.
Dolphin Fans - here's your team's leading rusher for the 2016 season.
How well Jacoby Brissett plays on the field remains to be seen. But his Locker Room Talking Points are tight...
It's a game of inches. Beautiful or excruciating depending on which team you're pulling for.
Michael Bennett wears shoulder pads that belong on a quarterback.
Just look at how this has changed over the years.
And even the fast guys.
Thanks to Footballguy Matt Waldman for that one.
Another one of these. When defensive lineman dream, this is what they dream about.
You might be a starting quarterback. But you know you haven't really made it when you need a shirt with your name on it so reporters can pick you out...
Here's what playing New England on a short week on the road will do to you...
Texans coach Bill O'Brien was asked how that affected the coaches.
O'Brien said, "We sleep here".
A reporter asked, "Are you kidding?"
O'Brien made this face.
And said, "Do I look like I’m kidding? Do I look fresh as a daisy right now?"
O'Brien then looked out to the reporters and said, "I was really looking forward to meeting with you guys this morning."
Interestingly enough, he later said he was kidding. Hmmm.
Riverboat Ron rocking his own T-shirt at the podium.
Not many coaches get to do that.
Just Wes Welker tailgating with the Tom Brady Mask...
Jon Gruden's a national treasure. Pool Noodle Action on Monday Night.
Matthew Stafford's an elite athlete. There are about a dozen humans on earth right now that can do what he does at his level. And yet he's incapable of a basic baseball slide.
I've given up trying to figure this out.
Wrapping with this one.
I love reminders that it's about more than just the game. University of Nebraska punter Sam Foltz was killed in an automobile accident this summer. In their first game of the season this year, this is how they honored him.
Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Brian Sumner, Rob Logan, Justin Bailey, Floyd, Matt Waldman and Tripp Taylor for the help on this one. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, shoot me an e-mail at bryant@footballguys.com.
Thanks for playing along. I hope you make the most of whatever you're doing in your life. Love your neighbor and stick together.
Peace and Grace to you.
J