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Random Shots From Week 6

Joe Bryant's Random Shots From Week 6
By Joe Bryant, October 16, 2024

Joe Bryant with a look at goofiness from the past week.

© Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

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

I could probably stop right there.

But I won't.

A peek behind the curtain at my Footballguys life.

One of the things I'm most proud of is the amazing team we've assembled for you. Our Footballguys Staffers are smart and thoughtful and dive deep into the game.

This week, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty came up for discussion among the Staff, and our people started diving into his attributes and abilities and what NFL players he might compare to. They talked about conference strength and measurables and yards after contact stats.

My contribution to the discussion was I love how he stands in the backfield like Michael Meyers...

Looking around the room, I had a clear observation: We are not the same. 

And I'm just going to lean into that if that's ok.

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham after an upset of Utah.

I'd play for this guy.

Want to feel old? 

This was 16 years ago. 

Didn't work out for them, but I respect the effort.

So good.

The most logical explanation I've seen.

Dare I say it, the Bears are fun?

It's the little things.

Jacksonville Mood.

This is fandom.

The Jets throwback uniforms are CLEAN.

This is exactly what I'm looking for in the Army quarterback. 

This is not your father's Associated Press.

You might've had a bad week. 

But I bet not this bad.

Thanks to Matt Carey and Tom Winkler for that one.

Feel Good post for the week.

Animals know.

Now it makes more sense.

Cole Kmet caught a touchdown pass and then filled in the next play as the long snapper.

Speaking of Kmet, I don't just remember people saying this. 

I'm pretty sure I said this in Training Camp.

Predicting NFL Player Performance is a challenge.

But I can't deny truth.

Monday Night Football kickers.

Two thoughts here.

  1. LOL at the Jets grasping for a patch.
  2. That stuff works pretty well. 

Combining a music note with fun this week.

Master Of Puppets never looked so good.

And Enter Sandman in Blacksburg is the best entrance in College Football.

I know this won't be popular, but I'll pick Some Kind Of Monster from the St. Anger album for the single.

I know lots of people hate the album. I get it. The tin can snare drums drive some people crazy.

But I've been a Metallica fan since I bought the Kill 'Em All record in 1983, and I think St. Anger is a beautiful, messy, chaotic picture of the band. 

The reviews were mixed at best:

"Adrien Begrand of PopMatters noted positive and negative aspects of the album, saying, "While it's an ungodly mess at times, what you hear on this album is a band playing with passion for the first time in years."

"Talking about the album, Greg Kot of Blender said, "It may be too late to rehabilitate Metallica's image, but once again, their music is all about bringing the carnage."

"Writing for NME, Ian Watson said that, "the songs are a stripped back, heroically brutal reflection of this fury. You get the sense that, as with their emotional selves, they've taken metal apart and started again from scratch. There's no space wasted here, no time for petty guitar solos or downtuned bass trickery, just a focused, relentless attack."

"Johnny Loftus of AllMusic praised the album and described it as a "punishing, unflinching document of internal struggle—taking listeners inside the bruised yet vital body of Metallica, but ultimately revealing the alternately torturous and defiant demons that wrestle inside Hetfield's brain. St. Anger is an immediate record."

"Barry Walter of Rolling Stone magazine also had a positive reaction to the direction taken on St. Anger, stating: "No wonder there's an authenticity to St. Anger's fury that none of the band's rap-metal followers can touch." 

In 2023, Rolling Stone marked St. Anger as number 43 on their list of 50 horrible albums by brilliant artists, calling it "a deeply disappointing album".

 For me, I think it's a sweet snapshot of a complicated band. Rock on. 

Things change fast.

This was a fun reveal.

Hats off to Pat McAfee for keeping a straight face when he asked about the hamstring.

God Bless Eagles Fans.

I'm shocked these guys got beat.

Yup.

Careful there, Ethan.

Protect this man.

It's a beautiful game.

Plus, Cam Skattebo looks like a first-round pick for the Black Eyed Joe All Name Team.

Steeler Nation travels.

Ohio Fans.

For my English friends.

Pat McAfee's hitting his stride.

Accurate.

Everything has a cost.

I love this.

I don't know any details, but from the outside, the Romeo Doubs situation looks like an indication of a healthy organization.

He did whatever he did and missed practice.

Was handled appropriately and seriously in that he didn't play the following game but was on the sidelines and seemingly engaged.

Returned to team and said all the right things.

Delivered on Sunday.

Jared Goff cast off from the glitzy Rams as not good enough and now excelling is one of my favorite NFL stories.

Preach.

Cleveland Mood:

Related:

However, the problem is that he is available. 

10 seconds will tell you what you need to know about Caleb Williams' progress.

Jimmy knows.

Big Cat does not miss with the rankings.

If you don't know who the third juggernaut team is, Moo Deng rules. Ask your kids.

And if you didn't know Moo Deng, I bet you, like me, can appreciate this:

Wrapping with this one.

What a great run by Bucky Irving.

But what caught my eye was not Irving but Baker Mayfield racing 40 yards downfield to block. When nobody would have noticed if he'd held back.

We marvel at the physical talents NFL players display each week. And they're amazing. 

But talent is one thing. And effort is quite another.

Sure, talent is developed. And these guys work really hard to make the most of their abilities. But we have much more of a choice with effort. 

We may not all have the talent or physical traits.

But we all have the ability to control our effort.

I heard Matt Hasselbeck this week relay a great line. He said, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley says, "How much you love your teammate and how accountable you are to your teammate can be measured on defense by how close you are to the ball when the whistle is blown."

I think that's absolutely true. 

And of course, most of us aren't playing NFL Football. But the application is the same. How much we care for those around us and how accountable we are to our team can be measured by the effort we put in. 

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

And thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Jake Bryant, Matt Carey, Tom Winkler, 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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