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
It's On.
With the NFL season kicking off Thursday night, I was feeling like this throwback picture of Jimmy Johnson. It's the same way every year.
I changed things up this season and went with a Classic for my Team Name in my local league: "He Don't Make The Law. He Justin Forsett".
Complete with this sweet graphic from Footballguy Adam Harstad.
It's a little long but that only means we may have to get a bigger trophy for this year.
And these are my Guys.
On the Soapbox:
I love the DFS games and I love the big season long contests. But for me, this picture IS Fantasy Football. A bunch of friends gathering in my barn with wings and drinks and smack talk. (Plus Andrew on Facetime). It's the heart and soul of this industry and it'll always be at the forefront of how I think of Fantasy Football. All the other ways to play are great. But they're all in addition to this. Friends enjoying each other and enjoying football always has been what I love about Fantasy Sports. And always will be.
Off the Soapbox.
Kevin Harlan made the Monday Night Game Watchable. Click here for the video.
"Hey somebody has run out on the field. Some goofball in a hat and a red shirt. Now he takes off the shirt! He's running down the middle by the 50, he's at the 30! He's bare-chested and banging his chest. Now, he runs the opposite way. He runs to the 50! He runs to the 40! The guy is drunk, but there he goes! The 20 — they're chasing him, but they're not going to get him. Waving his arms, bare-chested; somebody stop that man! Oh they got him, they're coming from the left — oh and they tackle him at the 40-yard line!"
Jimmy Garoppolo was working the Pre Game Smelling Salts Sunday night.
He's in pretty good company.
and
Why do I notice these things?...
Speaking of the Patriots. Emperor Belichick has some words for you...
On the road. No Brady or Gronkowski. And Belichick again proves he's alone at this level.
It's a common thing to say of players like Lebron James or Tom Brady that we should take time to pause and consider their greatness. We'll be able to talk of those guys one day to our grandchildren the way older folks today can talk of Jim Brown or Dick Butkus. I'd suggest we're witness to this right now with Bill Belichick. Don't miss it.
And I'm far from a Patriots homer. I love my "18-1 The Perfect Season" shirt.
I just recognize what I'm seeing with Belichick
Remember that year when Le'Veon Bell suddenly looked way faster/stronger/quicker than you remembered?
That what Marcus Peters is thinking right here...
In the "I'd just as soon be lucky" Department, Welcome to the NFL Eli Rogers.
And props to the Steelers Social Media person for the instant posting of
New England TE Martellus Bennett does other things besides Football. His company, The Imagination Agency (nice plug on the Sunday Night Football introductions) has published his first children's book.
From Patriots.com: "It's really cool. It's a long process from picking out the paper to making sure the ink is right, from creating characters to editing the story, but bringing those ideas to fruition is one thing,” Bennett said. "A lot of people have ideas, but completing ideas is something that is very rare, so I'm very excited about that … When I started the company, I just wanted to make things and tell stories, so whether it's films, cartoons, apps, books, I just like to make stuff. I have all these stories that need to be told.”
Just Cam Newton flossing his teeth on the sidelines...
There goes every kid's excuse of "I don't have time". You DentistGuys need to have this on the wall.
I've been pulling for Robert Griffin III III this summer. TheBigLead.com ran this headline Sunday afternoon.
By Tuesday we had our answer.
Another reminder of the timeline for a Browns fan.
First, they start with youthful enthusiasm and optimism.
Then optimism of this sort.
Then reality.
God Bless you Guys.
Derek Carr, I'm completely fine with you sliding.
And same for you, Dak Prescott.
And especially you, Drew Brees.
NFL Athletes are pretty amazing. It's easy to be enamored with the running backs and wide receivers flying down the field. But the linemen are incredible as well. Travis Swanson is 6'5" and 305 pounds. And looks like a Baseball Catcher here.
That's a large man for a squat that deep.
Latavius Murray rocking the Mr. T Starter Kit Sunday...
Lions coach Jim Caldwell absolutely lost his mind winning the game Sunday.
And Yes. A double fist pump even for the three seconds it lasted constitutes "losing your mind" for Caldwell.
Laces? Who needs laces?...
A rare Golf Note in the Random Shots.
Business Insider reports: UC Davis' Ben Corfee was at the 18th hole as it began to get dark. Rather than waiting until the following day to finish the round, the senior was able to finish with the help of spectators' cell phone flashlights.
And he made the putt. There you go.
For anyone keeping track at home...
The Color Rush uniforms are back. Most are terrible but the Seahawks are pretty sweet. Although seeing the whole team in these may be too much.
Some guy in Arizona just pegged the Creepy Meter with the Tom Brady Mask. When I saw the first picture, I thought it was photoshopped...
But it's a real thing.
Wow. And I like Tom Brady. But Wow.
Seattle locked arms for the National Anthem.
I love this.
The Free Market Economy at work. Parking pasess to the Rams - 49ers game cost more than tickets. As they should have.
The game was still in the first quarter and Jason Witten was already in jersey fully untucked mode.
Maybe it's a Dallas thing. Dez Bryant wasn't far behind...
Fun pregame moment from Dallas with Odell Beckham Jr and Dez Bryant. I get the fire and competitiveness and all that. But sometimes it's good to remember these are real people and real friends.
And just to prove the NFL Madden Twitter isn't all puppy dogs and rainbows, they savaged Terrance Williams and Cowboys fans a bit later...
Black Eyed Joe's Rule Of Thumb
I'll take a #29 on a #97 in pass coverage any day.
Antonio Brown thought they had the 10:20 PM game...
Talk to me about these cleats though. They're the sweetness but look more at home in San Diego or UCLA. What's the story? Were they 9/11 related? Doesn't really matter. Brown's an Alien and can do whatever he wants.
On the topic of cleats, we saw lots of great ones this weekend. Including these worn by Mohamed Sanu.
I'll ask the question: Is Mohamed Sanu a good enough player to wear shoes that cool? My answer - YES. There is no rule that your production has to match the cool factor of your cleats.
I think more than anything, I love that the artist doing a ton of these is named Kickasso like Picasso.
That's next year's Team Name.
I'll take Odell Beckham Jr against pretty much anyone on any day. And twice on Sunday against against a defensive back who missed all of last season with reconstructive knee surgery...
Little things matter and Leadership matters.
After DeAngelo Williams scored a touchdown, the first player Ben Roethlisberger sought out was not Williams but WR Sammie Coates Jr for making a nice block to spring the running back.
Here's how the game day started for Buffalo starting linebackers Jerry Hughes and Zach Brown. They took an Uber to the stadium after they missed the first team bus.
To be fair, there was a later bus to the stadium for players, but the two wanted to get to the game quicker.
And gave us the scoop on Instagram. H/T to NewYorkUpstate.com.
This guy really likes Carson Wentz...
Another example of Winning Cures Everything.
Girl is throwing up behind the guy and he's just smiling...
When Defensive Lineman dream, this is what they dream about...
High School Football Note with this fantastic picture.
Thanks to Footballguy Keith Overton for that one.
Jeff Fisher may be interested...
Unless you're a Jay Ajayi owner, this was the best injury report of the week...
Further evidence from the Penn State - Pitt game that Nacho Libre is never ever the wrong answer...
You know what else is never ever the wrong answer? General Luck.
Chargers first round pick and holdout Joey Bosa missed Week One with a strained hamstring.
Fans responded.
Can I make a confession? I don't hate Roger Goodell. I feel like this puts me in the vast minority of NFL Fans. Which I've always found interesting. The Top Guy in an insanely popular sport that's insanely successful seems to be universally hated. Just seems weird. I think some of it's that I don't look for things to be mad about. Whatever.
But I did find this headline funny.
Like there's ever been a time when Goodell thought a suspension might be wrong?
You know they loved this one on Park Avenue.
I hope the Titans don't wonder why they can't win games...
I don't think the author meant this the way it sounded but I loved this one regarding the special shoes.
Odell Beckham Jr and Victor Cruz LAYING IT ON THE LINE risking a shoe fine from the NFL...
The Ryan Brothers are back together. This makes me feel like things are right in the world.
Baltimore WR Mike Wallace failed his conditioning test in Training Camp. After watching his 66 yard touchdown run Sunday, I'm guessing blowing past defensive backs isn't on the test...
I like Andrew Siciliano on RedZone. And I like Andre Johnson. But Sunday, Siciliano referred to Johnson as "Andre Johnson, the future Hall of Famer”.
What do you think?
Not gonna lie. With Adrian Peterson sitting at 3.1 points on my roster, hearing the words, "Matt Asiata" on TV hurt...
Words can't express how much I love Jack Del Rio's move to go for two. Why that isn't the standard, I do not know. It's everything good about football: The game is right in front of you. Go out and take it and win. One ZILLION times better than the cover your coaching butt and play for overtime move. Maybe two zillion.
Del Rio owned the internet with his tweet after the game responding to some ridiculous projected winning percentage.
The only way this could have been better would've been if he'd made a Han Solo reference...
And don't even get me started on the projected odds business. This is Football. Not a math problem. This is knowing your team and feeling the stadium and knowing Derek Carr and Michael Crabtree and one on one coverage against an undrafted rookie free agent cornerback. Play Football. Do what you want with your calculator.
As someone who's watched Football a long while, I'm amazed at the return times we see today.
Less than a year ago, Arian Foster ruptured his right achilles tendon.
And here he was Sunday.
Crazy.
I'm no Defensive Coordinator but here's a thought for you guys playing Atlanta.
Put a man on 11. Maybe three men.
I see you Ben McAdoo...
It's been fun this week listening to Jim Harbaugh explain how this didn't happen...
Seattle coach Pete Carroll sounded very optimistic about Russell Wilson's availability for this week's game.
"We'll take care of him and do a really good job of taking care of him through the week, but we're counting on him making it back."
Which is exactly what you'd expect when Trevone Boykin is the alternative...
Houston, we have a problem...
Interesting note from this weekend.
What may be even more notable is that most everyone watching agreed these were the right calls. At least going into the game.
On that note...
If this isn't true, I don't want to know the truth.
Ezekiel Elliott with a tough start to the 4th quarter according to Yahoo...
Thanks to Footballguy Mark Stay for that one.
Good. No Good in Philadelphia.
Here's something you don't see a lot. Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon did his best covering Tampa Bay's Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
Seferian-Jenkins caught the ball for a touchdown. Then Weatherspoon helped him up.
Well done.
Music Note For The Week. The band I couldn't get enough of this summer was the Strumbellas. Click here for the song "We Don't Know".
Some pictures don't need a caption. This is one.
Here's another one that doesn't need words. Jordy Nelson after his touchdown Sunday. I won't even try to guess what he's feeling in that moment.
But I'd be surprised if it's not in the same neighborhood as Victor Cruz here.
Nelson missed last year but it had been 721 days since Cruz last danced a TD salsa. Nice to see these guys back.
And nice to be back with you. For the next four months or so, my life is basically a series of questions asking "I wonder if the folks would like this in Random Shots?" And I'm good with that.
Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Mark Stay and Adam Harstad 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
