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
BROWNS WIN.
Some of the best fans in the country have been waiting 635 days to say those words.
I thought about making the whole column this week about Cleveland but instead will just throw out the best of what caught my eye Thursday night. And there was plenty. I'd apologize for so much on one team, but the truth is I'm not sorry. At all.
Hat Tip: NFLMemes
"And a Possum shall lead the way..."
I'm so getting this shirt.
As you probably know, running back Carlos Hyde's wife was expecting a baby sometime Thursday evening. Hyde with an appropriate touchdown celebration.
You know the party's on when the Police Department joins.
Even the Cleveland Sewer Folks were in.
Here's what breaking a nearly two-year losing streak will do for you. Browns Fans win one game and now think anything is possible.
Warning: A couple of Not Safe For Work words in this one.
Naturally, the world was ready to fire Hue Jackson the next day. For having the audacity to say he wanted to watch the game film before benching his veteran starting quarterback in Tyrod Taylor for Week Four.
By the weekend, Coach Jackson was seeing things like the rest of Browns Nation...
And. Here. We. Go.
Snapshot of the Buffalo - Minnesota game:
The video is even better.
Sure he was leaning way forward but Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr is 6' 5"
Melvin Gordon said, "Hold My Beer".
Faux John Madden with some rules suggestions...
Buffalo had all the answers Sunday. Including, apparently, a play for the rarely seen "4th and 126".
This is no great block and I'm not sure Watson has lots of choices here but this is scary if you're a Houston fan. Leading with your throwing shoulder wearing quarterback shoulder pads into a 265-pound defensive end running at you full speed seems like a bad idea.
Will Blackmon with a fair point. I don't think people are "OK" with this either.
I love the league allowing more fun with touchdown celebrations. But let's not forget this is a game where they do keep a score. Marquise Goodwin and the 49ers were down 19 points after this play.
When you're up twenty points, it feels way different. Plus the Hesi-Pullup is sweet.
Time to brag for a second about one of my guys. Footballguys Staffer Steve Buzzard took home first place Sunday in FanDuel's Sunday Million contest.
My favorite part was I asked Steve a question Monday morning and he was at work as normal. Love it.
He put together a nice article here with the thinking and philosophy for how he builds his lineups.
So there's this.
No big deal...
There are some pretty decent quarterbacks on that list.
In case you've ever wondered how Wade Phillips' players feel about him.
Thanks to Football Clayton Gray for that one.
Albert Wilson with the early High Five. Wow, maybe Adam Gase actually does know what he's doing...
Thanks to Footballguy Clayton Gray and Howard Miller for that one.
Meanwhile, Mood in Kansas City:
As someone who makes a living predicting what will happen on the field, games like Buffalo - Minnesota point me back towards Al Michaels' famous line: "Nobody knows anything".
Here's how the Bills were looking at Survivor Pools across the country.
I'm not sure why I love these goofy moments like this so much but I do.
Cam Newton wins this week's "You Can Wear Whatever You Want When You Win" award.
You go, Philip Rivers.
That's pretty funny.
The official Bills Twitter Account was on fire Sunday afternoon reminding the experts nobody picked them.
To be fair, they could have just as easily put "99.9% of the Sports World" there.
Plus a little dig at Kirk Cousins.
Tre White put a finer point on it.
Cousin's wasn't impressed. That's too bad.
Yeah, this is pretty much how we drew it up...
Predicting this year's Super Bowl Score. Sounds about right...
Bill Belichick channeled his inner Steve Austin entering the stadium in Detroit.
Thanks to Footballguy Matt Waldman for that one.
Belichick is comforting as you know what you'll get with him.
From the Post Game Press Conference:
On how he would describe his conversation with Lions Head Coach Matt Patricia: "No."
On what happened on the intentional grounding play: "We didn't have a receiver in the area where we threw the ball."
On how the intentional grounding play was supposed to be executed: "There were several things that went wrong on the play."
On his team being a bounce-back team: "Well, it's never good when we lose."
On the team's second loss being a concern: "I just answered that."
Last week I wrote a typically snarky entry:
Bills are 0-2.
Rookie quarterback Josh Allen's line makes it feel like he's playing 7 on 11.
Pro Bowler Vontae Davis retired at halftime.
And Winter's coming.
Shows how much I know. Not only did they destroy the Vikings. They finished a game with no players retiring.
If something ever happens to Matthew Stafford, it's good to know they can suit up the Big Man...
So much for "Matt Patricia has lost the locker room".
Thanks to Footballguy Justin Bonnema for that one.
I'm just going to leave this right here...
Hockey Note: The Flyers unveiled a new mascot. Cover the kid's eyes...
Has anyone seen Justin Turner?...
Not what we had in mind...
Footballguy Jake Young sent me this from his Yahoo league. Apparently, the 49ers are doubling down on C.J. Beathard.
An interesting headline leading up to Sunday's game for Arizona: "Rosen May Get Shot If Bradford Struggles"
That's pretty harsh.
Thanks to Footballguy Erik Weinapple for that one.
Everything's better in slow motion, especially when NFL Films is involved.
Thanks to Footballguy Keith Overton for that one.
Cam Heyward on the sidelines was all of us on that play.
Music Note Of The Week:
Keeping it pure and soulful and stripped down with Roll The Bones from Shakey Graves. Love this dude.
Wrapping with a sweet pre-game moment between Ryan Shazier and Antonio Brown. Some things are way bigger than Football.
Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Clayton Gray, Matt Waldman, Jake Young, Howard Miller, Justin Bonnema and Erik Weinapple 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
