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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
This week could be the week Roger Goodell finally "wins" against Ezekiel Elliott. But we've been saying that for months now. So far, it's been mostly this...
Hat Tip to NFL Memes
Note to all you guys with Leonard Fournette on your roster: Doug Marrone hates you.
Congratulations to the Astros. Big win for a town that's due a good break.
The internet exploded with naive fans proclaiming the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx dead.
Dodgers fans were like...
Music note of the week is Trampled By Turtles. They're not new but are super rad. You may think banjos and mandolins can't be high energy. You'd be wrong. "Wait So Long" captures their sound well.
But they're not just fast. They're talented. They show off here with a sweet Pixies cover of "Where Is My Mind". And here's a nice Tiny Desk concert from NPR.
It's been a rough year for Injuries.
If Jameis Winston wants to do this before the game...
He needs to be ready for this after the game...
It wasn't hard to tell what DeSean Jackson was thinking...
If you, like me, thought Julio Jones' hand didn't look right as he dropped the sure TD Sunday...
It's because you're a Happy Gilmore fan.
Good old Chubbs...
I should probably end this thing right there...
Cam Newton with the sweet Dunk TD Sunday.
His Buddy Steph Curry said he'd have to ask Newton what dunking felt like...
That's pretty fun.
It's November which means it's Movember. Time to grow that mustache and raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide.
This week's Movember Classic Mustache is courtesy of Sam Elliott. I could pick just about any movie he's in but I'm going here with the classic scene from the end of the Big Lebowski. Some actors have the look. Some have the voice. Elliott has both.
Have at it Fellas. Grow that mustache.
T.Y. Hilton with this week's version of Why You Play To The Whistle.
These new Rams are fun to watch. And they do feel "new"...
The 2017 Broncos are a good reminder the "great defense plus an average quarterback" plan is possible. But difficult.
Philadelphia with the hard troll Sunday afternoon...
Thanks to Footballguy Jake Bryant for that one.
Classy move from Jason Witten and the Cowboys and fans to welcome Tony Romo back to Dallas. Romo broadcast the game Sunday with Jim Nantz at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
One person currently not a part of the Tony Romo Fan Club though is Deion Sanders. Romo criticized Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters' tackling Sunday saying Peters made Deion Sanders look good.
Everyone knows Sanders made his living covering receivers, not tackling them. Sanders himself has made light of this fact over the years. Somehow with Romo though, Sanders had his feelings hurt.
Note for Deion from Sergeant Hulka, Michael Irvin and anyone who ever watched Sanders play:
Why does Kansas City leave the big area on their helmet open when most teams put a logo or team name there?
Bigger question: Why do I notice this stuff?
For the second week in a row, the College Football Playoff Ranking Poll has Georgia #1 and Alabama #2.
Live look in on Nick Saban...
NBA Note. Steph Curry with the Super-Euro-Step-Teardrop. The Kevin Durant celebration killed me.
I love the energy GM John Lynch brings to San Francisco and I like the moves he's making.
But man they have a long ways to go.
Goofiness from the Clemson - NC State game.
Apparently, North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb’s "signature move" has been stealing the opposing quarterback’s towel. He did it three times against Clemson before the officials had to get involved. I'm not sure what it says that your signature move is a towel steal.
It's one thing forcing a pass into triple coverage. The "Brocketship" Brock Osweiler forces passes into triple coverage where all three defenders have a better chance at the ball than the offensive player.
Here's a recap of the Denver game from Sunday.
Kirk Cousins apparently did it all Sunday.
Thanks to Footballguys Brad Dooley and Brian Sumner for that one.
I sometimes call out players making "business decisions" and avoiding contact. Jarvis Landry is not one of those guys.
I've no idea what this official is doing here...
Travis Kelce won the Potato Sack TD Celebration.
Peter King called Kirk Cousins' game-winning drive last Sunday the best of Cousins' career.
Trailing by four points with 1:34 on the clock in the fourth quarter, Cousins led Washington down the field for the score and win.
But it's bigger than that. Kirk Cousins with a patched together inexperienced offensive line and "star" receivers Brian Quick and Josh Doctson had 94 seconds to score. Against the Seahawks at home with the 12th Man Crowd roaring and the sleet coming down facing Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett and Kam Chancellor. And Cousins delivered.
Papa John's Pizza CEO John Schnatter blamed declining sales on the NFL and how they've handled the National Anthem protests. I tend to lean more towards SBNation in thinking the sales decline is mostly because Papa Johns dropped the Jerry Jones rap commercials.
The Random Shots Player of The Week (that should be a thing, right?) was easily Oakland offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse. Who found himself where all offensive lineman want to be - carrying the football. At least for a moment.
Like most things, it's even better boomeranged.
To his immense credit, Newhouse completely owned the internet uproar that followed with the perfect tweet:
You Go, Marshall Newhouse.
Wrapping with this one from College Football's James Franklin and Penn State.
Michigan State kicked a field goal Saturday as time expired to upset Penn State at Spartan Stadium. Some Penn State players immediately ran off the field and you can see Franklin below pointing them back to the field for a post-game handshake.
He explained in the presser after the game.
I know this is the kind of rah-rah Ned Flanders "Hidey-Ho Neighbor" stuff many people dismiss with an eye-roll. And without question, this is a results-driven business. But some of these coaches take the idea of building character seriously. Franklin seems like one of them. Rock on, Coach Franklin.
Hat Tip to Larry Brown Sports.
That'll do it for this week, Folks. Thanks to Footballguys Clayton Gray, Brian Painter, Keith Overton, Jake Bryant, Brad Dooley and Brian Sumner 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