Shaquille O’Neal Endorses Dennis Allen’s Apology to Arthur Smith as Final Play Debacle Steals Saints’ Thunder

The New Orleans Saints showed their strength in a game where they beat the Atlanta Falcons by a huge score of 48-17. But what’s getting everyone talking isn’t just their big win. It’s all about how the game ended. Instead of just running down the clock like most teams do when they’re winning by a lot, the Saints went for another touchdown during the victory formation. This unusual choice has become a hot topic and has stirred up a lot of different opinions, with even Shaq chiming in.

The game’s critical juncture came with less than 90 seconds on the clock. The Saints, already leading comfortably at 41-17, regained possession. What followed was a surprising decision: instead of taking a knee to run down the clock, Saints’ quarterback Jameis Winston handed the ball to Jamaal Williams for a final touchdown.

 

This move, deviating from the norm of sportsmanship in such scenarios, raised eyebrows and tempers alike. The decision did not sit well with the Falcons, particularly their coach Arthur Smith, who expressed his displeasure in no uncertain terms during a heated postgame exchange with Saints coach Dennis Allen.

Dennis Allen, the Saints’ head coach, opened his post-game press conference with an apology directed at Smith and the Falcons. Allen acknowledged that the touchdown was a result of players defying his call to take a knee, emphasizing that such a move did not align with the team’s values or operational style, as he said,

“That was not a play that we intended to run down there to finish out that game; that’s not who we are; that’s not how we operate; we’ve got a good rivalry, and it’s a heated rivalry.”

In an interesting turn of events, basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal became part of the narrative. O’Neal, known for his keen interest in various sports, and his support for the Cowboys, endorsed Allen’s apology through his social media.

Posting the apology video on his Instagram story, O’Neal’s involvement brought additional attention to the incident. As it turns out, the players had unanimously made the decision to run the TD, defying the coach’s call to take a knee.

Players’ ‘Collective Decision’ to Get Jamaal Williams his TD

Adding depth to the controversy, Jameis Winston revealed that the players made a “collective decision” to go for the touchdown. This decision by the players, albeit well-intentioned to help Jamaal Williams score his first touchdown of the season, inadvertently went against the coach’s strategy and sparked the ensuing uproar.

The incident, while overshadowing the Saints’ impressive victory, helped get Jamaal Williams his only TD of the season. Winston acknowledged that he understood the coaches’ decision but let the team take the final call. Williams had led the NFL in touchdowns rushing for Detroit last season with a Lions single-season record 17 but had been shut out of the end zone this season with the Saints.