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Random Shots From Week 2

Joe Bryant's Random Shots From Week 2
By Joe Bryant, September 21, 2021

Random Shots From Week 2
Photo: USA Today Sports

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 brain 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

It was a long week but finally, all is right again in the world and Lamar Jackson has resumed his normal status on talk radio as the greatest quarterback to ever play the game.

Life lesson: I'm less interested in being right than I am making it right. Meaning I don't always have it right to start. But if it's not right, it's my job to make it right. Adjust and adapt and all that.

The NFL got it wrong on the new idea of enforcing the taunting penalty. Please adjust and make it right.

I live in Tennessee and Dolly Parton is our patron saint. Her example of this was renaming a feature at her park a few years ago.

"Don't be a dumbass. If it's a problem, fix it."

Listen to Dolly.

Here's a cute kid. You could have given me 100 guesses as to which NFL personality this was as a child.

And I don't think I would have guessed Mark Davis.

On that note, I'm 100% with Jon Gruden at the end of this clip. Surely we have better things to do than make fun of someone's hair.

I like this guy. He gets nothing but ridicule and this team is pretty good.

On that note...

Matt LaFleur with this week's lame "Ice The Kicker" move. This one was especially juicy as he did it in the first half. LaFleur called time as they snapped the ball for Detroit's Austin Seibert who promptly pushed it right. Seibert said thanks for the practice kick and then made the next one when it mattered.

Justin Herbert was making sure his coach got a game ball.

Not going to lie. I was hoping for more of these...

Hat Tip to LaQuan Jones.

I'm just going to leave this one right here...

Non-Football Awesome Story.

As you may know, we lost legendary Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts this summer.

My favorite Watts story as recounted in this sweet tribute from The Ringer.

"Mick and Keith and Charlie are in Amsterdam. 1984ish. Mick and Keith are still up at 5 AM. Charlie is not. Mick calls Charlie and says, “Where’s my drummer?” No response. Charlie gets out of bed, showers, shaves, puts on his suit, and goes up to Mick’s room, where he punches him in the face and says “You’re my singer.”

Rock on, Charlie Watts.

So much for that "If defensive backs could catch they'd be wide receivers" thing...

Thanks to Footballguy Clayton Gray for that one. And fun note from Footballguy Dan Hindery: "It was ruled an interception on the field and Oklahoma challenged it. Since it was 4th down, the interception actually cost them over 20 yards of field position compared to if it was incomplete. They lost the challenge."

Because I know y'all need to know things like that.

To their credit, Sean Payton and the Saints didn't use this as an excuse. But this seemed insane to me.

Note for USC: Next time do not put all the linemen at the back of the plane.

Thanks to Footballguy Clayton Gray for that one.

Monday night was a great example of how sometimes football is like a stacked deck. Jared Goff can play. This touchdown to T.J. Hockenson was as perfect as you'll see by any QB/TE in the league.

Goff and the Lions simply didn't have enough of these plays. And eventually the Packers prevailed.

You've probably seen Peyton and Eli Manning with the Monday Night alternate broadcast. I wasn't sure it would work but turns out I was foolish to doubt the insatiable desire fans have to lap up anything the Mannings put out.

Having them do the Ole Miss - Tennessee game is a can't miss home run. Even former UT coach, now Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is lobbying for it.

Do the right thing, ESPN.

It doesn't last forever, but for a while, kids think their dad can do anything.

Music Note of the Week. Some R.L. Burnside music may be what you need today. That's often the case for me. He had a wild and eventful life with a great many ups and downs. He served time in prison for murdering a man. Years later, he opened for the Beastie Boys and played on Conan O'Brien's show. Random Fact: Burnside's headstone reads, "R. L. (Rural) Burnside".

Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was named Pro Football Focus' Offensive Player Of The Week.

That can't be right. Twitter told me Jones played terrible Thursday night. What's going on here?

Are we really calling Brian Flores "B-Flo" now?

Someone please tell Tedy Bruschi no.

My hope for you.

The RedZone channel was down for ten minutes Sunday.

People were subjected to the unspeakable horrors of actually having to watch a real game. Some are still shook.

Tom Brady: Still a Vampire.

Twenty years ago, in Week 2 of the 2001 season, Mo Lewis knocked Drew Bledsoe out of the game giving Tom Brady his chance. Zach Wilson was two years old that day. Mac Jones was three.

Thanks to Andrew Siciliano for that one.

Urban Meyer doing some casual Friday afternoon internet shopping...

I'm no expert. But this seems like a sub-optimal thing for an official to do.

Zach Wilson's Day:

Even worse news. It went downhill from there.

On the upside, the list of quarterbacks Bill Belichick has made look bad is a long list.

Thanks to Footballguy Klaus Krauthan for that one.

Kyle Brandt is right. Week 1 Is A Liar.

Mike Evans isn't washed?

Jalen Hurts isn't going to be MVP?

Darren Waller won't catch 200 passes?

The Bills aren't posers?

Jameis Winston isn't Tom Brady?

Austin Ekeler can catch?

Jon Gruden was ready to get back to the game. I'm not sure I got the lip reading right, but feels pretty close.

Probably not the smartest move to spit in a player's face when you're six inches away from the official.

Sadly not inaccurate.

The Cowboys-Chargers featured the first 14-11 halftime score in NFL history. If you're keeping score at home, that's a Scorigami.

And if you don't know Scorigami, you should. This is right up the Random Shots alley. Check it out here.

Some of that "Indisputable Visual Evidence" for overturning the Julio Jones touchdown.

I'm with our friend Adam Levitan. Selecting a running back in the first round of the real NFL Draft is risky business.

Careful though. I said on Twitter last Thursday I was starting to think Saquon Barkley didn't look special and it nearly broke the internet.

Note to Eagles coach Nick Sirianni: At this point, people are more surprised if they don't run The Philly Special...

The problem with playing in multiple fantasy football leagues.

Matt Prater's in field goal range when he steps off the bus.

Disclaimer. I have zero interest in celebrities. Including athletes. Literally none at all.

But this is interesting and well-done writing. For you folks that like long-form stuff, I bet you'll like it.

"Owen Wilson Is Doing Great, Thanks"

Not great, Ben.

1. Yes, I know this is an old picture.

2. Roethlisberger isn't the problem here. Ask Najee Harris about this offensive line.

Poor guy is just trying to fix a helmet and Kenny Golladay won't stop yelling at him...

(Spoiler: He's yelling at Jason Garrett)

He may not be an elite running back. But Jamaal Williams can be on my team anytime.

Wrapping with this one. Listen to this high school football coach.

Wise words from the coach here. And it applies to all of us. Don't live your life to please other people. Work hard. Do your best. But do that in working towards a goal or something that makes you happy. Not everyone else.

Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Klaus Krauthan, Dan Hindery and Clayton Gray for the help on this one. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, send me an email 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

Photos provided by USA TODAY Sports
Tags Fun Timeless Saquon Barkley Tom Brady Derek Carr Clyde Edwards-Helaire Austin Ekeler Ezekiel Elliott Travis Etienne Jr. Mike Evans Nick Foles Jared Goff Kenny Golladay Najee Harris Justin Herbert T.J. Hockenson Jalen Hurts Lamar Jackson Josh Jacobs Daniel Jones Julio Jones Mac Jones Christian McCaffrey Sony Michel Rashaad Penny Tony Pollard Matt Prater Austin Seibert Darren Waller Jamaal Williams Zach Wilson Jameis Winston

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