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Random Shots From Week 3

Joe Bryant's Random Shots From Week 3
By Joe Bryant, September 25, 2024

Joe Bryant with a look at goofiness from the past week

Random Shots From Week 3
Photo: USA Today Sports

© Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images random shots

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

Just going to drop this one right here.

Perfection.

Rome Odunze's dad posting clips of Caleb Williams missing him when open feels like high school.

Will Levis when he dreams...

Thanks to @NFLNotify

Accurate.

My weekly submission to support my "Maybe Deion Sanders should just talk less" campaign.

Apparently, Sanders believes the reason some reporters are critical of Colorado is that they're jealous they don't make as much money as the players.

From Sanders:

"The landscape has changed in football. Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players. Now they’re making more money than y’all. And some of y’all are envious and jealous about that, so you’re on the attack. It was hands-off for a college player because they were an amateur. You remember that guys? Now it’s hands-on, go at them. Any kind of way you want. ‘They are making more money than me, and I’m mad about it. I’m upset about it.’" 

It's the same guy with a new haircut, right?

Jets rookie RB Braelon Allen with a fun reply for how he dropped to the 4th round.

It does feel like we should have seen this coming...

Just when you think you've seen everything.

Can anyone relate to this?

I remember watching Odell Beckham Jr.'s famous one-handed catch and thinking it was one of the craziest things I'd ever seen. Now, it happens every weekend.

I'd say this was worth $14,000.

Nobody was rooting for Jacoby Brissett as much as Drake Maye.

Jameis Winston rates Fast Food.

That's my quarterback.

I know many of you, like me, have been watching football for a long time. 

Here's to us.

My Tennessee Vols went into Norman, Oklahoma Saturday where our coach was a star quarterback and then later coached. 

This was as good a post-game locker room talk as I've ever seen.

Kind of mean. But totally true.

This one felt personal. 

Ready.

Turns out, both QBs were ready. Justin Herbert started 10 for 10. Justin Fields started 9 of 9 for Pittsburgh. 

Current Situation In Cleveland.

Music Note This Week: The Front Bottoms are a fun lo-fi band with energy. I first saw them opening for a Manchester Orchestra project in Cincinnati years ago. I hadn't heard of them but they drew a big group of fans clearly there for them. One song into their set, I could see why.

"Flashlight" is one of my favorite songs and the video feels like a throwback to the MTV days.

 

Houston visited Minnesota Sunday, and Vikings fans chose violence.

Glitch in the Matrix.

J.J. McCarthy with respect for his quarterback.

"Sam Darnold is out of the medical and returns to the field as the crowd goes wild" is not a sentence I planned on typing this year. 

But here we are. 

Video:

Thanks to Clayton Gray for that one. 

Mike Tomlin is a National Treasure.

Can I get an "Amen"?

The TCU Helmets were fire.

All touchdowns count the same. But they don't all look the same.

Yes, Organizations matter.

So does coaching, and so does surrounding talent.

So does experience and time in the league and practice reps.

But this has been fun to see for Willis.

Jets Fans feeling it.

Their reaction after the pictures were taken is so good.

Mahomes with his jersey swap.

Just like we all expected.

Ouch.

Thanks to Matt Carey for that one. 

God Bless you, Browns fans.

I did not know this.

This was rough.

Colts fans are in for a wild ride.

Wow.

Baseball note. Padres with a sweet triple play to end the game.

This is nuts.

A good example of taking media reports with a healthy dose of skepticism. Watching the game Thursday night, I saw and thought the exact same things as McAfee.

Wrapping this one. "Assume The Best Of People" is a nice way to live your life.

If you're a regular Random Shots reader, you know Aaron Jones wears a sombrero to the stadium.

This past week, a well-known sports writer on Twitter criticized him for it. Doesn't matter who it was, this isn't about them.

Turns out, there's a fun reason Jones wears the sombrero. A tradition he carried over from Green Bay to Minnesota.

From the Vikings official site:

"Jones considers El Paso, Texas, where he attended Burges High School, his hometown.

"He became known in Green Bay for honoring El Paso by wearing a sombrero decorated in Packer colors when arriving for game days – as well as sometimes on the sidelines and in postgame interviews.

"It all started as a dare by his girlfriend to wear a sombrero to the Packers game at Dallas on Oct. 6. 2019. Jones obliged, purchasing a black-and-white one from a party supplies store and wore it into the locker room before the game in which Jones scored four rushing touchdowns, becoming the first Packers player with four rushing touchdowns in a game since Dorsey Levens on Jan. 2, 2000.

"Soon after, Packers superfan Marcos Flores, a.k.a. Señor Cheesehead, connected with Jones and gifted him a green-and-gold version for the Oct. 29 game against the Chiefs – during which Jones had seven catches for a career-high 159 receiving yards.

"Jones also gives a nod to El Paso during his signature touchdown celebration, during which he holds up nine, one, and five fingers – in homage to the city's 915 area code – before flexing."

It's a fun little thing. He's not disrespecting or appropriating or anything else people seem quick to jump to as they're offended. He's wearing a cool thing to honor his hometown. 

I'm guilty of this myself, but it's a good reminder to Assume The Best of folks. Give them the benefit of the doubt. If you're truly curious why they're doing something, ask them without accusing them. Lots of times, there's a perfectly good reason for what they're doing, and you should just chill. Rock on and keep it rolling, Aaron Jones. 

Thank you for being part of this goofy journey with us.

And thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Jake Bryant, Matt Carey, Bob Henry, and Clayton Gray for the help. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, email me 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
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