Hi Folks,
We do a ton of insightful, thoughtful and serious features here at Footballguys with 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 manage. Here's hoping it has some value for you.
We'll see. Now let's get to it.
J
I hope you're sitting down for this.
Mike Tomlin won a challenge.
If Judge Smails from Caddyshack and Mr. Howell from Gilligan's Island had a baby, I bet he'd clap like Jerry Jones.
That's pretty funny.
Never Change, Raider Fans.
Thanks to Footballguy Chad Parsons for that one.
Apparently, "Sources" is code for "Anyone who's watched television this year".
If you'd like your head to explode, keep reading...
Here's a great thing about the NFL.
Heading into Sunday morning, tons of people felt like Tim Ryan here.
By the end of the day, most were saying, "What a great day of football".
The NFL is not without problems. But it's a fun product.
I had the good fortune of celebrating the wedding of my long-time Buddy and Footballguys rockstar Sigmund Bloom last weekend in New Orleans. What a great time and awesome city.
They start with the Falcon hate early there.
Late in the game, they were still showing Super Bowl highlights.
And they love their LSU Tigers.
Saw one of these in the wild Saturday.
And they were right.
Odell Beckham kept it rolling Sunday.
Kenny Golladay out there fighting for every yard...
Many thought the Titans were offsides for the field goal attempt Sunday...
I'm not sure.
Jordan Jenkins giving the post-game interview then casually pointing out the fight in the stands just slays me for some reason.
Aaron Rodgers. Still ridiculous.
It's not every day you see three Heisman Trophy winners in the same backfield.
Lamar Jackson is a problem.
You're welcome, Ravens fans...
For all you Old Timers, yes, that move looked familiar...
It's a cruel game sometimes.
My email box was fun Monday morning.
Davante Adams returned and the Packers lost.
Alvin Kamara returned and the Saints lost.
Patrick Mahomes II returned and the Chiefs lost.
Yeah, just like I figured...
Mitch Trubisky is back?
Trubisky shows just enough flashes to keep you on the hook.
From touchdown to an interception in one second.
Seriously though, the Browns are not dead yet.
Most of America Sunday.
More Tyreek Hill goofiness.
Here's the list of running backs who don't have a run longer than Lamar Jackson:
Lamar Jackson gets the love here but Mark Andrews made a nice catch too. This is what happens when a guy starts to feel comfortable.
A lot can change between now and then but a Kansas City - Baltimore playoff game would be fun.
I don't know much about the University of Minnesota but P.J. Fleck's made Random Shots twice now.
I'm sticking with that lo-fi bluesy vibe for the Music Note this week. Marc Ford and the Neptune Blues Club feels like fall to me.
"Don't Get Me Killed" is all kinds of good.
Jamal Adams was bringing it.
In this one, he took it.
Aaron Jones with the sombrero each week might be the fashion story of 2019.
Call Browns fans what you will. But you can't accuse them of wasting the sauce...
I'll never stop being amazed by other people being amazed when a 6' 4" 300-pound elite athlete flattens a 5' 9" 200-pound elite athlete.
Aaron Rodgers is extra aware.
Y'all just keep acting like this kind of stuff doesn't matter...
God Bless our Veterans and God Bless Packers Fans.
And God Bless Steelers fans while I'm at it.
—
I've said it before because it's true. You know the implosion is coming, but Ryan Fitzpatrick is a fun ride while it lasts.
Soccer note. Good play comes from good coaching. I bet this team is awesome.
That's just good parenting right there.
Yes, I know most every player warms up with some sort of hip opening stretch like this.
But Dak Prescott was still fun.
Mainly for the avalanche of things like this.
Thank you, Internet.
I've been telling you how Amari Cooper's been crushing the suit game. That's starting to translate to the field.
Tennessee's Taylor Lewan with an overly honest assessment of how his penalties are killing the team.
Dallas with the Rally Cat.
Another sweet tight end catch.
I can't imagine it was much fun to be on the field in Green Bay but it looked beautiful.
I'm going to just leave this right here...
Thanks to Footballguy David Dodds for that one.
Coach Sean McVay said playing Blake Bortles was part of the plan Saturday.
Yes, Jared Goff Guys, McVay hates you.
The Cowboys played the Saints without Drew Brees, the Packers without Davante Adams the Vikings without Adam Thielen and the Jets with Sam Darnold. And lost to them all.
Thanks to Ed Werder for that one.
We NFL fans don't have the market cornered on bad referee work.
Now this is just mean.
I love the hindsight armchair quarterbacking. How in the world would a team be so dumb to think Ezekiel Elliott might be productive? If only we had some sort of track history beyond this one game...
From Johnny Raymond and Doug Farrar, these are the results for the Rams last 19 possessions going back to the end of the Bengals game two weeks ago then Sunday against the Steelers:
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Punt
Fumble
Punt
Missed Field Goal
Interception
Interception
Field Goal
Punt
Punt
Turnover On Downs
Interception
Not great, Bob.
I'm starting to wonder if Drew Magary might have it right.
I googled "trying too hard" and Travis Kelce was the answer.
Dan Orlovsky throwing truth: "You know who's got more wins [than the Cowboys] against teams with winning records? The Atlanta Falcons. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And the Cleveland Browns."
I know the guy won $20,000 on a $2 parlay this weekend.
Here's how your parlay will go:
Clearly, I'm as high on Lamar Jackson as anyone.
But can we drop the "Baby GOAT" talk?
You don't hear much these days from all the people who hated the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade for the Steelers...
The toughest job in San Francisco might the guy in charge of keeping Robert Saleh off the field.
This is just mean. True. But mean.
Hat Tip to Memes Of the NFL for that one.
Can you imagine if the Patriots had done this?
Here's a view from the endzone tunnel for Chase McLaughlin's potential game-winning field goal attempt in overtime during Monday's Seattle - San Francisco game.
Note: the tunnel is not in the center of the endzone...
Live look in on Blair Walsh Monday night.
Wrapping with this one.
You may have seen this from Jeopardy! this week.
As you likely know, longtime host Alex Trebek is battling cancer. It was a sweet moment between contestant Dhruv Gaur and Trebek and brought out some emotion from the normally unflappable host.
Gaur later explained the context of the message. Here's why he used his final guess on a message of support rather than trying to take a stab at getting the correct answer.
"...I’m really glad I got the opportunity to say to Alex what everybody at the tournament was thinking. For context, Alex had just shared with us that he was re-entering treatment for pancreatic cancer. We were all hurting for him so badly. When Final Jeopardy came up, I could’ve tried to puzzle it together, but really, just kept thinking about Alex, and thought he should know. I’m just very grateful I got the opportunity to say what I know everyone was thinking. Sending all the love. #weloveyoualex"
We live in a day and age when shock jocks and hot takes rule. The fastest way to popularity is often to be the most abrasive guy in the room with the most "mic drop" moments. I don't think that's the way.
I think Alex Trebek has shown over the years there's another way and that's to operate with class and professionalism. That resonates. Rock on, Alex Trebek.
Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Clayton Gray, David Dodds and Chad Parsons for the help on this one. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, send me an e-mail at bryant@footballguys.com.
Thanks for playing along and 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