"Eno is irked that the band has dropped some of the more contemplative and sonically adventurous songs it developed. "Tell them they're being stupid cunts," he jokes, after playing a lovely discarded ballad called "Winter.""
I fear, you might be right – but the band was still in studio from that point until shortly before X-mas. A lot, really a lot could have happened there regarding the definite song choice. By the way, I don't think Q and RS were that far apart from each other. Q stated, that the sessions were completed in a feverish pace in November. There the album-audition happened, one week later was the infamous private-car-listening. We know at least the (after-)production of the Eno-songs lasted a lot longer.
Plus: Bono kind of confirmed in the "Irish Independent", that it has come out "very long" for U2 standards (12 tracks was the longest with AB & POP so far, without the bonus ones) – whatever that means.
So, we don't know, if "Winter" has made it ...