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
Kicking this one off with Tom Brady making Business Decisions.
Here's the pre snap conversation between running back LeGarrette Blount and Brady:
Blount: "Tom I'm gonna bounce back and you lead the way, cool?"
Brady: "I got you, LG."
The best part is this was created by the people who run Tom Brady's social media.
Can we please get some water to coach Rivera and guy behind him on the Carolina sideline?
Well, hello there...
The Browns don't seem to be doing much right on the field. But they continue to win Pre Game. Terrelle Pryor made this kid's season with a game of catch.
Here's another one. Some guys sign hats. Torrey Smith signs babies...
Another game, another cornerback talking about Ravens WR Steve Smith's nonstop trash talk.
Smith didn't seem to care.
"I can really give a flying f---," Smith said.
"Older guys, they understand the respect game. These young guys, these new millennium guys, they don't really get it," Smith said.
"I've had two rookies that unfortunately, they have lost all respect for me, so it's been really keeping me up at night. ... With all the lack of sleep ... I was almost unable to send my cleats and gloves all the way to Canton ..."
Smith produces on the field so I guess he can say what he wants. And I know everyone thinks he's the coolest. But the never ending tough guy "look at me" talk is tiresome at best.
Count me in with Stanley whenever Smith talks about how awesome he is and how lame everyone else is...
Baltimore with a smart play to end the game Sunday. Multiple Ravens players intentionally held Bengals as time expired and Baltimore took a safety.
By rule, an offensive penalty does not extend the game as a defensive penalty does. So no last gasp for Cincinnati. This isn't new as Baltimore did this in the Super Bowl. Chip Kelly did something similar earlier this year. But few executed this as well as the Ravens did Sunday.
On the flip side, sometimes you just win despite coaching decisions...
49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick made few friends in Miami rocking a Fidel Castro T-shirt earlier this year.
Miami linebacker Kiko Alonso's father is a Cuban exile. He naturally wasn't a fan of the Castro shirt or Kaepernick's comments last week defending his actions. With the game on the line and Kaepernick rushing for the score as time expired, Alonso delivered this finishing blow to win the game with Ndamukong Suh.
I'm not sure it gets much more satisfying than that.
Music Note of Week is another band with a super chill vibe. Glass Animals and Black Mambo will hypnotize you. The video's kind of dumb but the song is sweet. If you're like me, you tend to judge bands on their sound... Check it out here.
Dez Bryant thinks Washington overpaid for Josh Norman...
Norman replied saying Bryant told him after the game "Where I come from we unload the clip".
Naturally, the threat of gun violence talk raised eyebrows and Bryant took a good bit of heat.
Per the Washington Post, Norman confirmed Bryant's words twice after the game to the Post.
Then on Monday, Norman changed his mind saying that Bryant did not say the phrase. According to Norman, it's a phrase he "intended as a metaphor to describe himself, how he's going to give it his all on the field."
And just for good measure, Norman gave us this gem describing his opponents. "Trolls and clowns. Trolls and clowns," Norman said. "You're at the top, everybody gunning for you. That's what happens."
Okay, Then...
Raiders QB Derek Carr dislocated his pinkie finger taking a snap Sunday.
The internet responded with headlines using the word "gruesome" and "disgusting".
Really? This is the image too gruesome to show?
Torry Holt says "Hi"...
Even though his season's been cut short with an injury, Atlanta's Jacob Tamme has established himself as one of the solid TEs in the game. You'd think that would be enough. Apparently not.
Mrs. Tamme, you know they say "Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy".
Thief. Of. Joy.
Hardcore Cardinals Fan.
Thanks to Footballguy Clayton Gray for that one.
LSU hired Ed Orgeron as their head coach this week. I love it. Go for the guy who wants the job. Not the guy who wants the money. And went 5-3 in the AAC.
My main criteria for evaluating college football is what gives me the most entertainment. And Orgeron pegs the entertainment meter. Buckle up.
On that note, I'm down with my Buddy Casey Matheny and his campaign to bring back Lane Kiffin to Tennessee...
More of this please...
More College Football. Cardale Jones was ready for "The Game" Saturday.
Speaking of Michigan - Ohio State, you guys know how I love the "Can't We Get Along?" stuff. So this was my favorite picture from Saturday.
I didn't have a dog in that fight but what a good game.
As if we needed a reminder, Rob Gronkowski is good at Football. Tom Brady's numbers going into Sunday's game with and without his star tight end.
There's an artist that made a portrait of Carson Wentz. Out of pretzels.
People are awesome.
Jaguars RB T.J. Yeldon missed practice all of last week and was considered a long shot to be on the Active List Sunday. When the official Inactive players were declared Sunday morning, Yeldon made the cut.
In the Footballguys Slack Channel my partner David Dodds had this for me:
"When you're as good as Yeldon is, I guess you don't need reps...or is that as bad as the Jaguars are, you don't need reps..."
Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr may be lots of things. Boring isn't one.
Don't ever change, Bill Belichick. Here's the discussion between the coach and Patriots beat writer Doug Kyed on Tom Brady's playing status last week.
You may not get much. But you know what you're going to get with Belichick on the mic.
I'm still surprised the league allows this. Especially right out in the open.
Although he's in good company...
You can tell the ESPN guys are getting comfortable with each other. Or really annoyed.
Sunday Trent Dilfer said Matt Hasselbeck looked like a Conehead.
He went there. Ouch.
One more College Football Note.
Alabama is so boring...
Thanks to Footballguy Clayton Gray for that one.
Hang in there Bears fans...
Apparently, he's a quick study.
Vontaze Burfict with the Flop Of The Year.
Atlanta's Taylor Gabriel scored two touchdowns on four catches Sunday. He was cut by the Browns.
I'm pretty sure that's not in the Moneyball Playbook...
The New York Jets have a "Look Up" Cam. They put fans on the jumbotron who are staring at their phones and start a timer to see how long it takes them to look up.
I'm definitely stealing this if I ever buy an NFL team.
Just Tyreek Hill high-fiving his way into the end zone...
New England's Martellus Bennett with a nice summary of the NFL when asked about the Patriots "expecting" to move the ball downfield and score at the end of their game:
"Because we work hard every day," Bennett said. "We work in those moments. They get paid millions of dollars to stop us. And we get paid millions of dollars to make plays. We going to make ‘em."
And make them they have.
Saturday Night Carolina Fan: "Yeah, I'm wearing the Panthers jersey to the Black Hole tomorrow. But I'll be fine. The scary looking guys get all the TV time but I hear most of the fans are just nice normal folks."
Sunday Carolina Fan:
Kansas City's Cairo Santos. Kicker and Comedian.
Monday morning, most of the NFL World was talking about Gary Kubiak's decision to kick the 62 yard field goal. I was in total agreement and thought it was a no brainer. Andy Glockner has a nicely reasoned article here though that makes the case for another option. Well done. I still kick it there and go for the win. Every time.
Although I accept the fact not everyone agrees with me.
That's pretty funny.
I'm just going to leave this one right here...
Peter King had some thoughtful words on the Dallas offensive line for MVP talk this week:
"I think I'm respectful of the Dallas-offensive-line-as-collective-MVP candidate, and it's not a thoughtless alternative. But while tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick and guard Zack Martin are deserving All-Pro candidates, the other two starters—guard Ronald Leary and tackle Doug Free—are not. In the same way you honor the best line in football by naming them co-MVPs (or however you'd word it), you'd also dilute the award by including two men who, while good players, are not on the level of their All-Pro peers."
I'm down with that.
Back to Dez Bryant vs Josh Norman. Looks like we have our answer as to who wins...
Thanks to Footballguy Craig Lakins for that one.
Colts punter Pat McAfee is fun.
Browns WR Terrelle Pryor suggested McAfee was copying Oakland punter Marquette King.
McAfee was having none of that.
Hockey Note. It's raining Teddy Bears in Calgary.
Well done, Calgary.
Moose Johnston's jacket is FIRE.
Love that guy.
Browns coach Hue Jackson said, "I haven't even opened the bag of tricks yet".
Now might be a pretty good time to do it, Coach.
Yup.
I don't hate kickers. And I won't argue if you want to call Justin Tucker the best kicker in the league right now. I don't even mind the corny press conference jokes. I mean, have you read this column? But I'm drawing the line at kickers doing the Gladiator "Are you not entertained?" pose.
That's just wrong.
Colin Kaepernick drilled at the two-yard line. And really tall Miami fan celebrates.
Wrapping with another Jarrius Robertson story. I told you a few weeks ago about the Saints signing him for a week. Sunday, ESPN ran a longer story.
May we all be as tough as this young man.
Rock on, Jarrius.
That'll do it for this week, Folks. Thanks to Footballguys Doug Drinen, Clayton Gray, David Dodds, Casey Matheny, Craig Lakins and Keith Overton 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
