'I'm going to take the high road': Quinn's note on clock pause leads Week 15 quips
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J.J. Post, ESPN
Not all wins produce the same emotions in the NFL.
The Washington Commanders moved to 9-5 on the season with their win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but the triumph didn’t come without late drama.
New Orleans scored 12 unanswered points to finish the game, with a last-gasp touchdown making the score 20-19 with no time left on the clock. The Saints opted to go for a game-winning two-point conversion instead of forcing overtime with an extra point, but the conversion attempt failed, sealing the Commanders’ win.
The touchdown came after some strange clock mechanics — the game clock appeared to pause with nine seconds remaining in the contest, allowing New Orleans precious time to spike the ball and set up one final play.
After the game, Washington coach Dan Quinn kept his thoughts on the clock situation blunt:
“I’m going to take the high road.”
Here are some of the other top post-win comments from Week 15 of the NFL season.
“The Steelers are more physical!”
In a cross-Pennsylvania battle, it was the hosting Eagles who came out on top as Philadelphia managed a 27-13 victory at Lincoln Financial Field. Jalen Hurts totaled three scores for the Eagles, two as a passer and one on the ground. Pittsburgh amassed just 163 yards of offense in the loss.
Walking off the field after the win, Philadelphia rookie Jalyx Hunt took aim at pundits and fans that had projected the Steelers to have the edge in the physicality department.
“Just a conversation back and forth.”
The Commanders weren’t the only team to leave a win with mixed emotions on Sunday. On the road against the Titans, the Bengals posted 37 points but were far from perfect in a game that featured 10 total turnovers.
Late in the contest, television cameras caught Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow in what appeared to be a heated exchange with coach Zac Taylor. Asked about the clip after the game, Taylor brushed it off.
Trent McDuffie picked up two Super Bowl titles in his first two full NFL seasons, but he didn’t secure his first professional interception until Sunday, when he grabbed one of the Chiefs’ four picks vs. the Cleveland Browns.
When asked about the milestone in a postgame interview, McDuffie admitted he wasn’t initially expecting the ball to come his way, but found himself in a fortuitous position after realizing via the stadium scoreboard that Browns quarterback Jameis Winston was indeed targeting him.
The Rams traded field goals with San Francisco 49ers en route to a 12-9 win on “Thursday Night Football.” Los Angeles converted on three fourth-quarter kicks to tally a key NFC West victory.
The win marked the Rams’ second triumph over their divisional rivals this season, reversing a trend from recent years. Prior to this season, San Francisco boasted a 9-2 record in the rivalry dating back to the start of the 2019 campaign.
After the game, Williams offered a definitive claim about a potential changing of the guard in the matchup.
