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 brain 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
Just going to drop this one right here.
When you come home after boozing with the boys all day and she ain’t having it pic.twitter.com/VYisO3ZrDf
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) September 20, 2024
Perfection.
Robert Kraft in a booster seat is what we all needed tonight. pic.twitter.com/a1zrWKvYvB
— Joe Bryant (@Football_Guys) September 20, 2024
Rome Odunze's dad posting clips of Caleb Williams missing him when open feels like high school.
Rome Odunze dad sharing wide open clips of him 2 games into playing with Caleb Williams lmaoo https://t.co/uVMddmm4RI
— John (@iam_johnw) September 19, 2024
Will Levis when he dreams...
How Will Levis' dreams look:
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) September 19, 2024
pic.twitter.com/IUImQaPAMD
Thanks to @NFLNotify
Accurate.
The Jets right now after being crushed by the Patriots for 2 decades straight pic.twitter.com/FrJgPSv4Vx
— IKB (@ikbdotgg) September 20, 2024
My weekly submission to support my "Maybe Deion Sanders should just talk less" campaign.
Apparently, Sanders believes the reason some reporters are critical of Colorado is that they're jealous they don't make as much money as the players.
From Sanders:
"The landscape has changed in football. Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players. Now they’re making more money than y’all. And some of y’all are envious and jealous about that, so you’re on the attack. It was hands-off for a college player because they were an amateur. You remember that guys? Now it’s hands-on, go at them. Any kind of way you want. ‘They are making more money than me, and I’m mad about it. I’m upset about it.’"
It's the same guy with a new haircut, right?
Nike removed its current CEO, John Donahoe, and replaced him with Elliott Hill.
— Joe Bryant (@Football_Guys) September 20, 2024
Do they clone these guys in a lab? pic.twitter.com/1DxEKY8QA0
Jets rookie RB Braelon Allen with a fun reply for how he dropped to the 4th round.
Everyone wanted to see me run in my underwear to decide if I was a good football player https://t.co/npblJ6ykjf
— Braelon Allen (@BraelonAllen) September 20, 2024
It does feel like we should have seen this coming...
Teams really saw a 6’1/235lbs 20-year-old RB with this kind of footwork and said….
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) September 20, 2024
“Nah we’re good until round 4.” pic.twitter.com/5SzvgUL7gq
Just when you think you've seen everything.
The one yard punt return touchdown. It’s beautiful
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 21, 2024
pic.twitter.com/hO3WD3bgZd
Can anyone relate to this?
Husband installed a surveillance camera to monitor his wife's movements while she was sleeping, and this was the result. ?pic.twitter.com/u2R6j379LX
— Figen (@TheFigen_) September 20, 2024
I remember watching Odell Beckham Jr.'s famous one-handed catch and thinking it was one of the craziest things I'd ever seen. Now, it happens every weekend.
I’ve watched this ten times and it keeps getting more insane #Illini
— Isaac Ambrose (@IMAbrose) September 21, 2024
pic.twitter.com/kkiBCaPAeK
I'd say this was worth $14,000.
The NFL fined #Saints QB Derek Carr $14.069 for unsportsmanlike conduct/obscene gesture — a crotch grab as part of his Mike Jackson celebration last week.pic.twitter.com/ipSDWlvyY3
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 21, 2024
Nobody was rooting for Jacoby Brissett as much as Drake Maye.
Drake Maye on the bench watching the Patriots offensive line. pic.twitter.com/nEI03gR6YU
— Housebets.com (@Housebetscom) September 20, 2024
Jameis Winston rates Fast Food.
That's my quarterback.
Didn't know I needed this video in my life ...
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) September 20, 2024
But here we are ?
Jameis Winston ranking fast food restaurants ?
via @Jaboowins | #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/xcHaABAT7K
I know many of you, like me, have been watching football for a long time.
Here's to us.
Another sign of you being old. pic.twitter.com/E3j7czviEq
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) September 21, 2024
My Tennessee Vols went into Norman, Oklahoma Saturday where our coach was a star quarterback and then later coached.
This was as good a post-game locker room talk as I've ever seen.
Had a little something extra. pic.twitter.com/5R09sSlFb9
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) September 22, 2024
Kind of mean. But totally true.
Watching breaking bad ahead of the dolphins game to practice blocking out all the Skylar scenes
— Kenjac (@JackKennedy) September 22, 2024
This one felt personal.
me looking at Rhamondre in my starting lineup: pic.twitter.com/dYJcgVLDrH
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) September 20, 2024
Ready.
Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert are ready ?
— NFL Retweet (@NFLRT) September 22, 2024
pic.twitter.com/eRN3D2hjOG
Turns out, both QBs were ready. Justin Herbert started 10 for 10. Justin Fields started 9 of 9 for Pittsburgh.
Current Situation In Cleveland.
Meanwhile in Cleveland pic.twitter.com/gHg16WXOEH
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) September 22, 2024
Music Note This Week: The Front Bottoms are a fun lo-fi band with energy. I first saw them opening for a Manchester Orchestra project in Cincinnati years ago. I hadn't heard of them but they drew a big group of fans clearly there for them. One song into their set, I could see why.
"Flashlight" is one of my favorite songs and the video feels like a throwback to the MTV days.
Houston visited Minnesota Sunday, and Vikings fans chose violence.
100% pic.twitter.com/bWVOhI0XSx
— Tracy Perlman (@Partray) September 22, 2024
Glitch in the Matrix.
Go Hokies! pic.twitter.com/yrFsj8kSrL
— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) September 21, 2024
J.J. McCarthy with respect for his quarterback.
Sam Darnold is good at football ?
— J.J. McCarthy (@jjmccarthy09) September 22, 2024
"Sam Darnold is out of the medical and returns to the field as the crowd goes wild" is not a sentence I planned on typing this year.
But here we are.
Video:
Sam Darnold returning to the game: pic.twitter.com/oXB6KDo719
— Michael Hauff (@TheFFRealist) September 22, 2024
Thanks to Clayton Gray for that one.
Mike Tomlin is a National Treasure.
Steelers are 3-0 pic.twitter.com/7s5n6HKLCT
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) September 22, 2024
Can I get an "Amen"?
The second you trust Derek Carr… pic.twitter.com/ackRmu1RGI
— The_Gildz (@The_Gildz) September 22, 2024
The TCU Helmets were fire.
TCU helmet is phenomenal. pic.twitter.com/b8T68LbrCr
— NFL Fashion Advice (@fashion_nfl) September 21, 2024
All touchdowns count the same. But they don't all look the same.
— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) September 22, 2024
Yes, Organizations matter.
So does coaching, and so does surrounding talent.
So does experience and time in the league and practice reps.
But this has been fun to see for Willis.
Organizations matter.. pic.twitter.com/xDaW5TL6ui
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) September 22, 2024
Jets Fans feeling it.
Jets fans since Thursday night pic.twitter.com/yS3YbtctBr
— Will Parkinson (@Willpa11) September 22, 2024
Their reaction after the pictures were taken is so good.
Justin Jefferson and Stefon Diggs jersey swap ?@JJettas2 @StefonDiggs pic.twitter.com/AI2npbFWDS
— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
Mahomes with his jersey swap.
— AB (@AB84) September 23, 2024
Just like we all expected.
Andy Dalton is the first QB in the NFL this season to throw for 300+ yards and 3 TDs
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) September 22, 2024
in the entire league
(per CBS broadcast)
Ouch.
Trevor Lawrence is literally just Daniel Jones with long blonde hair pic.twitter.com/9PhYeVXXyy
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) September 24, 2024
Thanks to Matt Carey for that one.
God Bless you, Browns fans.
Teaching my kid Browns football today pic.twitter.com/AifnqiAVOA
— McNeil (@Reflog_18) September 22, 2024
I did not know this.
Sam Darnold is younger than Joe Burrow.
— Dominique Clare (@DomClare) September 22, 2024
I repeat.
Sam Darnold is younger than Joe Burrow.
This was rough.
Pass interference doesn’t apply to the Chiefspic.twitter.com/e9VPidu6Wd
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 23, 2024
Colts fans are in for a wild ride.
Anthony Richardson can complete passes that 99% of NFL QBs cannot complete
— Hunter Haas (@Haas_Football) September 22, 2024
Anthony Richardson cannot complete passes that 99% of NFL QBs can complete
It’s the most aggravating thing. #Colts
Wow.
CJ Gardner Johnson screaming in the locker room "They ain't no contenders they're pretenders. They have Derek Carr remember that."
— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) September 22, 2024
Baseball note. Padres with a sweet triple play to end the game.
With Ohtani on deck the Padres badly needed a Triple Play
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) September 25, 2024
AND THEY GOT THE TRIPLE PLAY pic.twitter.com/Nhcild4kuq
This is nuts.
WOW ?
— Fanatics Sportsbook (@FanaticsBook) September 24, 2024
Jayden Daniels has had 2 career NFL games where his team scored on EVERY drive except knee downs. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, & Patrick Mahomes combined to do that TWICE in their entire careers including the playoffs (1,094 starts) ?
pic.twitter.com/TYs9O3pxwJ
A good example of taking media reports with a healthy dose of skepticism. Watching the game Thursday night, I saw and thought the exact same things as McAfee.
"I would say the culture here is the opposite of what that headline said" ?? @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive #JetUp pic.twitter.com/yPuB5FE6Oj
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 24, 2024
Wrapping this one. "Assume The Best Of People" is a nice way to live your life.
If you're a regular Random Shots reader, you know Aaron Jones wears a sombrero to the stadium.
.?@Showtyme_33? Aaron Jones! pic.twitter.com/vEHGjlElDp
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 22, 2024
This past week, a well-known sports writer on Twitter criticized him for it. Doesn't matter who it was, this isn't about them.
Turns out, there's a fun reason Jones wears the sombrero. A tradition he carried over from Green Bay to Minnesota.
From the Vikings official site:
"Jones considers El Paso, Texas, where he attended Burges High School, his hometown.
"He became known in Green Bay for honoring El Paso by wearing a sombrero decorated in Packer colors when arriving for game days – as well as sometimes on the sidelines and in postgame interviews.
"It all started as a dare by his girlfriend to wear a sombrero to the Packers game at Dallas on Oct. 6. 2019. Jones obliged, purchasing a black-and-white one from a party supplies store and wore it into the locker room before the game in which Jones scored four rushing touchdowns, becoming the first Packers player with four rushing touchdowns in a game since Dorsey Levens on Jan. 2, 2000.
"Soon after, Packers superfan Marcos Flores, a.k.a. Señor Cheesehead, connected with Jones and gifted him a green-and-gold version for the Oct. 29 game against the Chiefs – during which Jones had seven catches for a career-high 159 receiving yards.
"Jones also gives a nod to El Paso during his signature touchdown celebration, during which he holds up nine, one, and five fingers – in homage to the city's 915 area code – before flexing."
It's a fun little thing. He's not disrespecting or appropriating or anything else people seem quick to jump to as they're offended. He's wearing a cool thing to honor his hometown.
I'm guilty of this myself, but it's a good reminder to Assume The Best of folks. Give them the benefit of the doubt. If you're truly curious why they're doing something, ask them without accusing them. Lots of times, there's a perfectly good reason for what they're doing, and you should just chill. Rock on and keep it rolling, Aaron Jones.
Thank you for being part of this goofy journey with us.
And thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Jake Bryant, Matt Carey, Bob Henry, 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