Twisting, Taunting, and Trash Talk, Oh My!

NFL Week 10 -  

BURNED BRIDGES

"I thought it was some bull at first for him to grab my ankle in the first place. After watching the video and ... him just walking away, everything didn't seem right about it. I'm down there in pain; he just looked at me and walked off like he did his job or some bull like that. After seeing that, that's when I realized, 'Damn!'"

"It would be nice to have an apology, but it's not going to happen. However the NFL handles it, it's on them. I would just like to play them again."

"I wish all my fellow D-end brothers happy hunting. That's all."

—Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns was livid at New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones after Jones grabbed and twisted Burns' ankle while lying on the ground. Burns had just strip-sacked Jones, and the play was still live as Jones took Burns down. Burns left the game with an ankle injury.

"I already addressed that situation. I'm just looking forward to playing in this game with the guys we have on our team this week. So we're already kind of moving forward and ready to play this week."

—Jones' response to Burns' request for an apology. (ESPN)

FORMER BROWN LEAVES TOWN

"We're moving on. It's unfortunate how it happened. I think it's unfortunate for both sides, but we have to move on and put our focus on this game versus Cincinnati."

"I think all of us have to move forward. We have a challenge on Sunday right in front of us. Baker had a good week of practice, and I think he's ready to go."

—Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski on the decision to move on from wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. After being traded from the New York Giants in 2019, Beckham played 29 games for the Browns over three years, notching 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns over that span. (Cleveland.com)

THE GRACE OF A BREACHING DOLPHIN

"In high school, I played a little receiver, tight end. … I'd go out there a little bit"

—Miami Dolphins tackle Robert Hunt on how he looked so comfortable handling the ball on a touchdown that never was during Miami's 22-10 upset victory over the Baltimore Ravens. (NFL Network via Twitter)

I JUST WANT TO TALK

"I don't mind the chirping, but little things after the play, little dirty stuff, I'm not going for it. I'm a man first. I'm here to play football. I'm not trying to fight nobody. But I'm not taking (expletive) though."

"He knows me. He has my number if he wants to see me. That ain't no threat, I'm just saying—he knows me. If he wants to talk to me, get at me. He has my number."

—Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown on his back-and-forth with Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey during Sunday Night Football. (The Tennessean)

THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

"I think that one was just bad timing. I think it's pretty clear to everybody who saw it that I wasn't taunting. I've been doing that celebration my whole career and it's just sad to see stuff like that happen in a close game like that. It's just rough, man. I don't want to say too much 'cause y'all know how it is. But the one thing that I will say is on my way to the sideline, I got hip-checked by the ref and it's pretty clear. If I were to do that to a ref or even touch the ref, we'd get kicked out of the game and possibly suspended and fined so I just think that was incredibly inappropriate and that's all I'll say about that."

—Chicago Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh on his taunting penalty called by Tony Corrente. Marsh recorded a clutch third-down sack, but turning to the Steelers sideline and lightly flexing was enough to draw a flag and reset downs. On top of that, Corrente seemingly "hip checked" Marsh as Marsh jogged off toward the Bears bench. (NFL.com)

STAY HUMBLE

"Nothing like going home after a tough loss and playing Rocket League only to be bodied by a 12-year-old whose username is sook_medik"

—Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott reminds us that no matter where you are in life or how well you think you're doing, there is always going to be a kid out there who's better than you at video games. (Boston Scott via Twitter)

TB'S BA ON FA OBJ

"No. We've already got AB, we don't need OBJ. Too many letters."

—Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians mentioned during a press conference that his team was out on Odell Beckham Jr. because there are enough acronyms in the locker room already. (Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times via Twitter)

ME AT EVERY BAR NIGHT DURING COLLEGE

"I mean, I'm gonna take shots. The last few years I've taken those shots, and they've worked. I've taken those shots, and they haven't worked (as well this season), and we've still been able to find ways to score points."

"Whenever I've got a guy with a chance to make a play downfield, I'm going to give him a chance to make a play."

—Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn't going to give up on trying to make big-effort, explosive plays despite the fact that he hasn't connected on as many this year. (Kansas City Star)

THE KING OF COMEDY

Tom Rinaldi: "How would you describe your sense of humor?"

Nick Saban: "Where do you come up with these questions?"

"I would say most people would say I have a terrible sense of humor. That's what I would assume. People that know me and know me well, know that's probably not true. I think the players would tell you the same thing that that's not true."

"From a public perception standpoint, I would say most people think I'm very serious, don't have any fun, don't smile very much, and that's not really true. It's just not what they see."

—Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban gets some very interesting questions during his press conferences. (AL.com)

TIME FOR HIBERNATION

"They're gonna kill that kid [Justin Fields]. You know what? Our offensive line ought to be arrested for attempted murder, because they're just … That poor kid. And a couple other people should be arrested for imitating cornerbacks. But anyway, yeah, I'm very frustrated. I think George McCaskey and the Bears head office there should be doing some drastic things."

—Chicago Bears legend Dick Butkus runs through his laundry list of gripes with the team's current make-up. When asked about his opinion on general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy, Butkus refrained from commenting, but did close this clip out by saying, "Who's coming up with the game plan? Jesus." (Stacking the Box via Twitter)

DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS

"Man, I was sick as sh*t. I was about to die. Like, I couldn't taste. I had strep throat and it was over. I thought it was over."

—New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson missed most of practice in the lead-up to last week's game against the Carolina Panthers due to a bad case of strep throat. That didn't stop him from recording two interceptions in Sunday's game, one of which was returned 80 yards for a touchdown.

"I was like oh sh*t, I hope I don't get caught. Because I had got gassed. When I got to the 30, the 20, my legs had gotten tight so I'm looking back. I'm going zig-zag so he won't catch me."

—Jackson on what was going through his mind during his 80-yard pick-six against the Carolina Panthers. (MassLive)

"I hope that's not a sign of things to come. Think we don't have to practice and then go out there and be the star of the game."

—Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on Jackson's performance despite not practicing. (NBC Sports Boston via Twitter)

THIS WEEK IN SOCIAL MEDIA

THAT DAMNED SMILE

Sean McVay when asked about OBJ. pic.twitter.com/9BlzXNpNWn

— Rams' Spider-GUY ⛓ (@SpideyRamsey) November 11, 2021

—When Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay cracked this smirk when asked about free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., we should have known it was a done deal.