Random Shots From Week 1

Joe Bryant looks at the fun from last week's action.

Joe Bryant's Random Shots From Week 1 Joe Bryant Published 09/16/2026

Melina Myers-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 sharing all the random goofiness from this week. With maybe a music note and sometimes a "soap box" wrap at the end.  

Here's to Football.

J

My friend Tim Moore sends me this video every Opening Day. And it never gets old.

Welcome back, Football. 

 

My guy Jameis Winston applies cologne exactly like you think he would.

Thanks to Sigmund Bloom for that one.

Well done, Sir.

Thanks to Barbara Bryant for that one.

Some articles go beyond the box score, looking for deep analytical insights.

Random Shots? I’m mostly just looking for cool stuff.

Big-time Zay Jones vibes here.

Thanks to Mike Fair for that one. 

Ken Walker III gets it. He's a star. He's a Super Bowl MVP. But he's locked in on listening to his coach like he was a rookie trying to make the team. 

It's a good lesson for young people. And a good lesson for not-so-young people. Stay humble and coachable. 

Washington Safety Tyler Owens.

And finally, a good use for AI.

Thanks to Aaron Rudnicki for that one. 

Wow. It's almost like Matthew Stafford looked like a 38-year-old quarterback after a 17-hour flight. 

It might've been better if he was QB1.

Derrick Barnes before the game.

Bijan Robinson is so smooth.

Music Note this week is a throwback to 1982, when I was a college freshman. Bruce Springsteen was already a rock star with a huge band and a big following. And he pulled way back with a solo project in recording Nebraska. It changed the way I thought about music, and it had a huge impact on me. All the songs are fantastic. Many are somber, but "Open All Night" rocks. 

"Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours 

"Sun's just a red ball risin' over them refinery towers"

 

Bills looked frisky.

Parker Washington picked up where he left off.

Yep.

God bless my Ohio friends.

If the Cowboys played as good as Dak Prescott warms up, they'd never lose a game.

Rookie Landon Robinson with a strong Week 1 entrance. He's a Marine officer and graduated from the Naval Academy.

Our game can be a cruel game.

It's not the visor.

It's that time of year.

Accurate.

These guys make a lot of money.

These guys earn a lot of money.

I can't say I expected this. But I can't say I'm surprised.

Justin Herbert, everyone.

Also, everyone:

Ryan Fitzpatrick would like a word.

Baseball Note: Payton Tolle knew.

3 strikeouts on 9 pitches. 

Preach.

New York is rolling.

Trevor Lawrence just feels like he should be the quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jaylen Waddle with a strong counter-argument to my "Look Good Play Good" theory.

This is not a real story.

Yet.

The league is a lot more fun with a healthy Patrick Mahomes II.

T.J. Watt is a menace.

Aside from the punches, anyone old enough to remember September NFL on the dirt if they shared the stadium with the baseball team?

Did not know this.

Not surprised by this. 

Side note: He's as good as expected on TV.

Wrapping with this one.

We lost a treasure last month in Dolly Parton. I live in East Tennessee, not far from where she grew up, and as a kid I remember thinking she was just a local personality. I had no idea she was beloved by the whole country. As I got older, I learned why. One of the many things I loved about her was how she never bought into the division and the baiting. She just went straight to the bottom line. 

I posted this back in 2021.

Thinking about her impact, it stood out to me how she earned the right to be heard. She could say things that might have landed differently with an audience if someone else had said them because she'd built so much goodwill by consistently being a good person. It's not that complicated. 

Well done, Dolly. You were an example of the best of us. Be inspired.

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

And thanks to Footballguys Sigmund Bloom, Barbara Bryant, Tim Moore, Aaron Rudnicki, Mike Fair, 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 Imagn Images
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