Hi Folks,
I say the same thing every December but I think it's fitting that the regular season wraps up this time of year. Because for me, the NFL season is sort of like Christmas: Tons of anticipation and then it seems to be over before I know it.
Part of the fun in writing this column is that every week, I know I'll get to share some thoughts with folks like yourself who love football as much as I do. And that strikes me as a very good thing. I've had a blast throwing out my goofy observations this season. And I've smiled at the emails from people telling me they've thought some of the same things as they were watching the games.
As I wrap up the regular season in this week 17, I've pulled up some of the more interesting things I remember seeing during the year. It's my sincerest hope that you've enjoyed reading this column 10% as much as I enjoyed writing it. We'll do it again next season. If you've got thoughts and ideas on how this thing can be better, or just want to yell at me about my preseason Dez Bryant and Marshawn Lynch love, feel free to shoot me a line at Bryant@footballguys.com.
Here's to Football,
Joe
FROM WEEK 1
You know it’s Raider Football in September when it’s first and ten from Third Base…
"TV Commercial Ronda Rousey" looks like "In The Ring Ronda Rousey" as much as "TV Commercial Hardees Burger" looks like what you get in the restaurant.
Apparently, Steelers defensive coordinator Keith Butler has Gronkowski on his fantasy team.
Dick LeBeau watching was…
FROM WEEK 2
Bud Light is the Official Beer Sponsor of the NFL. You know this.
Here's the Bud Light world they'd like to portray.
Here's the Bud Light world we live in.
What I'm dying to see is the shirt responsible for that tan line. Or maybe not...
What I do know is the two women next to Bud Light Guy lost the "Seat Lottery".
Unlike this kid who crushed the "Seat Lottery".
H/T Rebecca Grant.
I'm not the biggest Frank Caliendo fan but this skit with the video camera was sweet.
And I can't lie, the Mel Kiper - Sam The Eagle was good too.
Do the Bad Guys from Dick Tracy know Mike Ditka raided their closet?
I think most of Amerca felt like Wendi Nix...
San Diego QB Philip Rivers with that Uncle Rico throwing motion.
Nothing beats the real thing though.
Which leads to Breaking News from Dallas.
Thanks to Footballguy Erik Swanson for the help on that one.
The oh so rare but glorious "Eli Manning at full speed in the open field" shot.
It's the NFL equivalent of
Thanks to Footballguy Jeremy Johnson for that one.
Pope Francis is visiting the United States.
Not to be outdone, Dolphins coach Joe Philbin wore his hat too.
I think they make those hats special for Philbin. (Update - MADE those hats for Philbin. More evidence of a Random Shots Theme - Things Move Pretty Fast Around Here...)
For Eagles fans, I know the guy in the "IN CHIP WE TRUST" shirt wants to believe it. I'm just not sure he does. Nor do the people around him.
Maybe it's because 35 PLAYERS have more rushing yards this year than the Eagles have as a TEAM.
I guess we'll see soon enough. That's the great thing about the NFL. We don't have to wait a long time for resolution.
Buffalo fans were ready for New England.
Cam Newton. You're pretty ridiculous.
Plus there's this...
I think my favorite part of Monday Night's game was the Civil War General schtick.
Even Suze Kolber jumped on board.
After the game, General Fitzpatrick had the last word.
FROM WEEK 3
When you have enough money to decorate your house however you like and your nickname is "Silverback" this is what you get.
Yes. Yes. A thousand times Yes. Rock on, Trent Williams.
Tyler Eifert owners: Yes, the league does really hate you.
Eifert's reaction to this not being a touchdown was appropriate.
Ridiculous the league can't get this rule right.
Morris Claiborne likes three chin strap buckles.
Aaron Rodgers likes one.
Why do I notice? Or care?
There's keeping your head in the game while on the sidelines. And then there's Drew Brees keeping your head in the game while on the sidelines.
First he confirmed the play call.
Then he broke the huddle as the guys on the field broke their huddle.
Then licked his fingers as he normally does before the ball was snapped.
That's awesome.
Just Warren Buffet rocking a Ndamukong Suh jersey. With shoulder pads.
Somtimes this thing just writes itself.
Bob Kraft and Tom Brady kiss before games.
Ok, I kind of get the grandfatherly peck on the cheek thing.
I'm not as sure about the interlocking fingers.
FROM WEEK 4
Cleveland lost their game Sunday after jumping offsides and nullifying a missed field goal.
Another reminder of the timeline for a Browns fan.
First, they start with youthful enthusiasm and optimism.
y
Then optimism of this sort.
Then reality.
Right behind them are Lions fans.
This is how Detroit fans were feeling Monday night. Click the picture for the video...
God Bless you Boys.
At least we get this out of it.
Thankfully for Saints fans, this coach was able to point C.J. Spiller in the right direction for the win.
On a serious note, you know I love word pictures and this picture is the perfect contrast between players and coaches. The players are pre celebrating the touchdown. Even though he didn't need it of course, the coach is instructing Spiller what to do. Perfect.
Congratulations Clay Matthews. You sacked Colin Kaepernick.
Things move fast around here.
The best part of the London game may have been the face this man made at the post game press conference as Ndamukong Suh grumpily walked out.
So good.
Non Football Note Of The Week comes from 19 year old UFC fighter Sage Northcutt. He won his first fight and then celebrated with this.
That's not quite Tag Team Terror freaky. But still pretty freaky.
Mark Ingram congratulates the official after a score. Roll Tide.
Tyrann Mathieu is 5’9 and 185 pounds. Jared Cook is 6’5 and 255 pounds. Good thing for Cardinals fans that Mathieu has mad ball skills and can jump out of the gym. And Cook's primary skill is that he's 6’5 and 255 pounds...
From the Pittsburgh Post Game Press Conference.
Thanks to Alessandro Ricupati for that one.
Madden wasted no time in updating Scobee's accuracy.
I love Danny Woodhead. Mostly I love that he apparently puts his eye black on with his thumb and his eyes closed.
FROM WEEK 5
Big news this week as Random Shots may be on a short leash. The NFL reportedly is cracking down on sites that publish GIFs and Vines.
This makes me feel like Knowshon...
I may have to do all the highlights in TECMO Bowl style next week.
Good job, NFL.
Thanks to Footballguy Russell Clement for that one.
Sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson disappears. Yikes.
A more gentle and kind Oakland crowd...
Washington Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry shows what it feels like to watch your defense force a fumble at the goal line only to have Julio Jones recover the ball for a touchdown in the endzone.
It's a beautiful game.
Photo Credit Ric Tapia/NFL
In its quest to have as many different uniforms as possible, Oregon broke out the "Mach Speed Pioneer" uniform Saturday for the Oregon Trail as they welcomed Washington State to Eugene.
After beating Oregon 45-38, Washington State dropped this tweet...
Seriously, "Mach Speed Pioneer"? I'm with Stanley.
Just be you, Jeff Fisher. Just be you.
Tom Jackson breaking out the moves on Monday Night...
Closing this week with a fun Robert Griffin III III story. He may not be contributing on the field but he made the day of 31 women battling breast cancer at a Survivor's Celebration event.
Check out the smooth dance moves here. That's awesome.
And a great lesson for the rest of us. Do what you do and make the most of what you have. Even when things "at your real job" aren't going the way you had in mind. Sometimes, that means making a bunch of women smile.
FROM WEEK 6
If you've ever wondered how I write Random Shots, it's with lots of coffee from my Brownie Money Manziel Mug.
That's Random Shots in one picture.
Random Shots in one video is probably something like Mike Ditka delivering his best "line" of the week...
Yeah, I'm twelve.
Also, is anyone surprised Golden Tate would be involved in this play?
There weren't a whole lot of nice moments for Chiefs fans Sunday but I loved rookie Marcus Peters intercepting the ball then making a bee line for Andy Reid to hand him the football.
I'm guessing neither Alex Rodriguez nor Jay Glazer are signing with any football teams soon.
Rodriguez made a guest appearance on FOX's show Sunday.
And it cost a little more than FOX bargained for.
Everyone wants to rag on Rodriguez. But I'm not so sure.
Here's Glazer before the throw.
And after.
Good times.
And every Mom across the country is telling thier kids "That's why we don't throw balls IN THE HOUSE".
More College Football.
Here's SEC vs Big 10 in one picture.
You think Ryan Fitzpatrick was excited to score?
Me too.
Soccer Note of the Week.
If the TV Graphics guys had inserted "5 Games Played" after his 1,234 Yards in this picture, the Matrix might have completely melted down...
Thanks to Footballguy Stephen Parker for that one.
Patrick Chung with the Mic Drop tweet of the week.
Thanks to Brian Sumner for that one.
FROM WEEK 7
Are you way more into Football than any other sport? Then this is for you.
And yes, I get it. This column is not exclusively football.
In fact, here's my Baseball note of the week. Look who the Mets had ready in the bullpen Tuesday night...
Listen to Tony.
Here's another difference between Baseball and Football.
Football referees don't put up with a lot of "discussion".
It's different in baseball.
Although baseball umps run their share of players and managers. In fact, I'd guess a lot more baseball players are ejected each year compared to football players. So maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. No, I'm quite sure I don't know what I'm talking about. That's pretty much the whole point of this column.
If my Buddy Matt Cox could be the Head Ball Coach, every player would be well versed in this move.
File this under "Things I'd Rather Not See".
On second thought, maybe I would.
That's pretty fun.
When people ask me what I do, I tell them I write articles with Peyton Manning and Dirk Nowitzki's heads pasted on old guys running a 40 yard dash.
Most respond like Anderson.
I'm not saying Matt Ryan's a vampire. But I'm not going to any sleepovers at his house...
Who's ready for the NBA? Cam Newton's ready for the NBA.
We all saw Greg Hardy knock the clip board out of the coaches hand on the sideline Sunday.
It's Greg Hardy. If the sideline thing surprised you, you haven't been paying attention.
Maybe this should be just as unsurprising, but the Cowboys bungling of this is bordering on comical. Starting from the top. Jerry Jones was asked about the incident.
Reporter: "What was your take on Greg getting involved in the special teams huddle. Having a push and shove contest there?"
Jerry Jones: “He’s of course, one of the real leaders on this team. And he earns it. He earns it with the respect from all of his teammates. And that’s the kind of thing that inspires. I don’t know if you watched him warm up out there but he was inspirational in his method of warming up”.
I could write a bunch of stuff. But the woman's face in this picture says it way better.
Wrapping up with this one.
Which is really just a flimsy excuse to post one of the best three and a half minutes in the history of cinema.
FROM WEEK 8
Another Halloween picture with a Young Tony Romo from I'm assuming a Giants / Eagles / Washington fan...
"Bite size only please. I choke easily".
Wow.
Here's Bill Belichick in one GIF.
That's the Reverse Mullet Smile: Party in the front. Business in the back.
Like lots of you I assume, I love the Red Zone Channel. But watching eight games at once, it's sometimes easy to miss the real stories of the games. After the Bucs won the game on the final play of Overtime Sunday, you may have seen Jameis Winston point to a player and race towards him.
The player Winston ran to was rookie linebacker Kwon Alexander who went to his knees after the win.
Alexander's 17 year old brother was shot to death in a fight less than 48 hours prior to the game.
"It has been hard losing my little brother," said Alexander, a rookie linebacker. "But I know that he would want me to be strong for him, so I came out here and dedicated this game to him."
"I never give up," Alexander said, again remembering his brother. "He wouldn't want me to give up. It was all for him."
He could have easily missed the game as coach Lovie Smith left the decision up to Alexander.
"Sometimes when you are going through tough times like that, you need to be around your other family, doing something that you really love, to take your mind off of what's going on at home," Smith said.
"Losing a 17-year-old brother, I can only imagine what the family is going through. I'm just glad his teammates were there for him to provide support as much as anything. I left it up to him as to what he wanted to do."
Click the picture below or click here to see Alexander receive a Game Ball after the contest. Powerful stuff.
San Francisco TE Vernon Davis was traded from San Francisco to Denver Tuesday.
As of Thursday morning, his expression had not changed from this...
Thanks to NFL Memes for that one.
Titans President and CEO Steve Underwood introduced new head coach Mike Mularkey at Tuesday's press conference.
I'm sure Underwood's a nice guy and all but I don't know that the General Custer look inspires a lot of confidence.
Thanks to Footballguys Matt Waldman for the help on that one.
My favorite part of the London Games.
Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick injured his thumb yesterday and could miss some time. That's bad news for Random Shots as Fitzpatrick's a regular here.
Getting this one in while I can.
New York's Stevan Ridley poking holes in my "Look Good - Play Good" theory.
Larry Fitzgerald, you're kind of ridiculous.
For you guys dealing with injuries (which is pretty much anyone playing Fantasy Football this year) the good folks over at The Cauldron put together the 1st Annual Fantasy Football Academy Awards "In Memoriam" segment hosted by (not really) George Clooney.
Too soon? Maybe. But sometimes all you can do is smile...
Click on the picture or click here to see the full video.
C.J. Anderson can forget about getting any favorable calls from this official. Do officials wear cups? I hope this one did.
Thanks to Footballguy Pete Mandeville for that one.
FROM WEEK 9
Let's start with those Carolina Panthers. And coach Ron Rivera. Our favorite guy who looks like he'd wear a lei for his entire vacation in Hawaii.
Here's a question. Did they charge full price for Sam Bradford vs Matt Cassel Sunday?
Jerry has the answer...
Bills fans go hard. Click the picture or here for video.
Inhaling ammonia "smelling salts" can't be good for you, right? Click here to see what they do to Greg Hardy.
Before we rip Hardy too hard here, he's not the only guy who does these...
And for the love of Unitas, can we please get Peyton a bigger helmet? How many times do I have to ask?
Denver's Aqib Talib with the Three Stooges Eye Poke for Dwayne Allen.
Talib after the game said he thought Allen was milking it. "From my angle, I see (Allen) head butt Von a little bit. I went over to poke his head, and I think my hand slipped and hit his face," Talib said "He acted like he got in an 18-passenger car wreck. I guess that's what type of guy he is."
An "18 passenger car wreck"? Where does that come from?
Here's the view from Dwayne Allen's helmet camera...
And here we go.
Favre tells Manning, "Two can play that game..."
Aaron Rodgers would rather have an iPad.
A Green Bay fan was upset when Cam Newton tore down his Packers sign hanging up in the Panthers stadium. If he'd tried to report Newton, how good would it have been if the Stadium Police replied with...
I'm normally a big fan of the alternative Nike uniforms. But this "Color Rush" stuff just seems weak. How much creativity does it take to do a solid color?
Some say they look like Power Rangers.
My first thought was Gumby.
FROM WEEK 10
Here's something cool.
I found out this week, totally unsolicited, that Dale Earnhardt Jr is a Footballguy.
Wow. That was super generous of him to give us a shout out like to his zillion Twitter followers. What a nice surprise.
Thank you.
Not surprisingly, the Internet continued to have fun with Eye Poking Bronco cornerback Aqib Talib.
Yahoo even jumped on board with this gem in their latest app update...
You know you've hit the big time when Yahoo is busting you...
It's been tough watching Peyton Manning struggle. Anyone else feeling like Travis in Old Yeller?...
At least it looks like Manning will have a nice home. Click here to see the video.
I don't blame Brandon Marshall one bit here. I couldn't resist either.
Antonio Brown, you're kind of ridiculous.
This is by far my favorite version though. Click here for the video.
The grace and athleticism players like Brown show each Sunday is easy to take for granted. For a reality check, here's Random Guy running on the field. Now I'm going to guess he had a little judgement (and coordination) impairment extracurricular activity going on. But still. Good grief.
You Old Timers will get this one.
Jimmy Fallon's had fun with Seahawks over the years with NFL Superlatives. Seattle decided to turn the table on him with this one. Click here to see the video.
As he usually does, Marshawn Lynch stole the scene. Click his picture for the video.
Thanks to SBNation.com for that one.
FROM WEEK 11
Lots of people loved the picture of Odell Beckham Jrs cleats last week. Here's a much better shot from the Giants Instagram feed.
When I grabbed this screenshot, it first struck me as a "Mini Me" or "QB Factory" type thing.
But having thought about it for a second. I'd be just like Jimmy Garoppolo here. If you have the opportunity to learn from one of the All Time Greats, maybe the All Time Great, I'd be for following pretty much everything he did too.
Here's a tiny moment from Sunday but it's the kind of stuff I love. Minnesota quarterback Teddy Bridgewater left the game and backup veteran journeyman Shaun Hill ran out to the huddle. Seven year veteran wide receiver Mike Wallace immediately tapped him on the helmet. It was a calm "we got this" moment between two pros. The end result for the game obviously didn't go Minnesota's way but it was a nice exchange.
Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was fired last week. I'm torn on this as I love the guy. Mostly because he's what a fighter pilot calls a "target rich environment" when it comes to writing Random Shots. Fortunately, it looks like Ryan will continue to provide material even off the field.
On NFL Network's GameDay Morning, Ryan said he understood the change.
"Something had to be done," he said. "Right now the defense is ranked 33rd in the league and there's only 32 teams."
Ryan said the loss to Washington was the last straw.
(The Washington loss) "made my bye week into a bye-bye week."
But I love how he didn't pass the buck.
"I had a lot to do with it," Ryan said. "...Everything in New Orleans is being blamed on me including Katrina and I think it's a little farfetched. So the bottom line is this. I'll hold my head high and walk out into the sunset, but believe me, I'm coming back with a vengeance."
You can see Rich Eisen's reaction to the Katrina comment here.
On the other end of the style spectrum, we have Washington owner Dan Snyder with just one more example of how you should not tempt the "Look Good - Play Good" truth.
And JJ Watt called to say he wants his jacket back.
Check out Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls on the sideline Sunday.
And to be fair, it's not just Lynch. This whole team is fired up about Rawls. And for good reason.
This is one of my favorite photos of the year as the Seattle sideline reacts to Thomas Rawls bowling over Tramaine Brock. You know you've done something when even the guy handling the footballs notices...
Tony Romo was ready...
I bet the Men's Room pretty much empties when this guy goes in.
This banner may not be original. But still a classic late November High School football move.
College Football note from the "What He Looks Like" feed.
Wrapping this one up with some Thanksgiving Dinner advice. Family Gatherings can be tough sometimes as everyone has different opinions and beliefs. Just remember that one thing Unites Us All...
God Bless Adele.
FROM WEEK 12
Robert Griffin III III made Random Shots last year with the Eddie Murphy hat.
Kirk Cousins may be the quarterback these days but Griffin looks like he found a way to get on the field for the Giants game Sunday.
Lee Corso is that elderly lovable grandfather that it's time to take the keys from.
Click here for video fun.
Cleveland Fans - God Bless You Guys. When I hear Patriots / Packers / Steeler fans complain I always want to tell them try pulling for the Browns for a few years and then get back to me.
This picture sums it up.
Sticking with the Peanuts theme, Odell Beckham Jrkept the cleats game strong with Charlie Brown and Snoopy kicks in warmups Sunday. Complete with buckles.
Thanks to Will Brinson for that one.
And hang in there Cleveland Fans. You still have this going for you.
Tom Brady's Facebook page featured this image Sunday morning.
At 1:58 AM Monday morning, the Broncos had their rebuttal on the Denver Facebook page.
One more for Brady as these don't seem like they'll ever die.
Rex Ryan may not be the greatest coach. But I love the guy.
Houston's J.J. Watt told a story this week about Ryan from the 2011 Combine when Watt was entering the league. From ESPN.com:
"You do your meetings [at the combine] with all the teams, and you go around to every team," Watt said. "You never know where you're getting drafted. You don't know if you're a first-rounder, a second-rounder, whatever it is.
"I sat down there and he kind of real casually -- the whole thing was real casual -- and he just said, 'Hey, man, you're gonna be gone by the time we get to pick, so here's what we're gonna do: We're gonna put out a fake medical report that you have some sort of disease. I don't know what it is, whatever, we'll make it up. And you're gonna drop, but we'll pay you like you're up there [in the first round].
"So it was a funny little thing with Rex but something that I'll always remember about the combine. It was kind of a nice compliment to hear from an NFL coach when you're a college kid."
Watt, whom the Texans selected 11th overall, was flattered.
"I had no clue," he said. "You never truly know where you're gonna go in the draft process. But you hear a guy that's just been to the AFC Championship game say you're gonna be gone before you get to his pick, and thinks that highly of you that he wants you to be his pick, that was pretty cool."
That's the kind of thing that makes players love you and play their heart out.
RIP The Whip. Click here for the video.
Is it just me or does it feel like Johnny Manziel to Dallas is inevitable? With Jerry Jones doing the Mr. Burns "Excellent".
God Bless Carson Palmer.
The Cauldron had some fun pictures and made up captions this week.
Brady: “I hate to see you like this.”
Manning: “Yeah, we all get old, I guess.”
Brady: “No, I mean wearing a pair of sneakers in this cold weather when your feet could be warm and snug in some fuzzy Ugg boots.”
Manning: “I hate that friggin’ guy.”
FROM WEEK 13
Starting off this week with a classic. If you've read anything we do at Footballguys over the years, you have Clayton Gray to thank. Clayton does just about everything at Footballguys and we affectionately call him Carlton. Partly because readers used to spell his name wrong and partly because everyone loves Carlton from the Fresh Prince. Including Mike Tolbert.
Rock on Mike Tolbert. Rock on Clayton Gray.
Alfonso Ribeiro, the actor who played Carlton won the day though.
Thanks to Footballguy Sigmund Bloom for that one.
I told you a couple of weeks ago how Cardinals kicker Chandler Catanzaro killed the Dab.
If kickers doing your move can kill it, what can Jimmy Johnson spazzing out over it do?
Click here for video.
I'm pretty sure Google / SkyNet is getting close to becoming self-aware. It knows Charlie Whitehurst is "Clipboard Jesus".
Thanks to Footballguy Michael Horlacher for that one.
Antonio Brown as Super Mario. Sweet.
Word.
Thanks to Reddit for that one.
If you needed more context, click here.
ESPN seems unwilling to bail on the Stephen A. Smith on Sunday Countdown trainwreck but that's fine by me. This column is built on trainwrecks. Tom Jackson's expressions each week are priceless. Here's the latest from Sunday.
Here's a lesson on time and place. Or context. Cordarrelle Patterson with the Prime Time High Step is fine.
Down 35-0, it's a little different.
I'm with Marcus Grant, future 49er defensive player right here...
Denver's Von Miller with some sort of Robot Sack Dance.
This will never be as good as Miller's post game style though.
It's Von Miller's World a