When the playoffs are on the line late in the NFL season, players tend to go all out.
For Cincinnati Bengals tackle Orlando Brown Jr., that means playing through a remarkable injury -- a broken fibula.
Brown's dedication to the cause proved to be worthwhile. The Bengals defeated the Denver Broncos in an overtime thriller, keeping their playoff hopes alive. With Brown & Co. protecting him, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 412 yards with three touchdowns to Tee Higgins.
After the game, Brown was fired up about the hard-fought victory, yelling down the tunnel on his walk to the locker room.
"On one f---ing leg! On a broken leg!"
Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown said he played on a broken leg tonight against Denver. pic.twitter.com/40RoORk9X1
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) December 29, 2024
Here are some other post-win words of wisdom from Week 17 in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald
"Just how we drew it up. Exactly what we expected. 6-3."
Thursday's battle between the Seahawks and Chicago Bears was far from the prettiest game of the season, with the teams combining for nine points and 444 yards of offense. Neither team scored after halftime.
But ultimately it was Seattle that came out on top on the road at Soldier Field, keeping its playoff hopes alive. In his postgame news conference, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald joked that the low-scoring result -- the nine combined points were the fewest in any NFL game this season -- was just what his team had planned.
Los Angeles Chargers S Derwin James Jr.
The Chargers are heading to the playoffs in their first season under new coach Jim Harbaugh, officially locking up their spot with a dominant 40-7 win over the New England Patriots on Saturday.
Los Angeles' defense was on point, holding the Patriots to 181 yards of offense and 11 first downs. After the game, star safety Derwin James Jr. recalled his feelings at the end of last season, when the Chargers finished 5-12 with losses in eight of their final nine games.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
It was a Merry Christmas for the Ravens and their fans, with Jackson & Co. putting on a dominant display in a 31-2 win over the Houston Texans.
Jackson accounted for three total touchdowns, the most spectacular being a 48-yard run in the third quarter to put the Ravens up 24-2. The star signal-caller reached a speed of 21.25 mph on the score, his fastest mark in the NFL.
When he found out about his new personal best, Jackson said he wasn't even at top speed on the run.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans
"That was our good luck duck."
Tampa Bay received an unlikely visitor in its win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, with the game experiencing a brief disturbance when a duck found its way onto the field during the second half.
The duck's appearance coincided with a blocked punt touchdown by the Buccaneers special teams, as well as another score later by wide receiver Jalen McMillan to put Tampa Bay up 48-14.
Evans suggested the duck might have been connected to his team's impressive showing, though Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles jokingly expressed he was less pleased with the delay it caused.