The aftermath of Sunday’s AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals offered a clear glimpse into what it means to be both a good and a bad teammate.
The game — which ended in favor of the Chiefs, 23-20 — was a welcome competitive contest after Philadelphia blew out San Francisco, 31-7, in the NFC Championship earlier in the day. But it was mired by a costly late mistake by Bengals’ defensive end Joseph Ossai, who was called for a late hit on Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes with less than 10 seconds left, setting up the Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal.
Ossai was visibly upset right after the play, and it truly hurt watching him cry at the end of the bench as Kansas City lined up for the kick that sent his team home. You could plainly see Ossai understood the gravity of his mistake, and the emotions of Cincinnati being so close to making a second Super Bowl undoubtedly weighed heavy in those moments.
In the immediate aftermath of the game, as the Bengals returned to their locker room, Cincinnati linebacker Germaine Pratt shouted out to no one in particular as cameras rolled.
“Why would you touch the f---ing quarterback?,” Pratt yelled, obviously referencing Ossai’s penalty.
Pratt eventually apologized for his remarks Monday morning, but deserves every bit of criticism thrown his way in the first place. Good teammates are supposed to build each other up and empathize when they make mistakes. Instead, Pratt decided to light up Ossai, knowing a camera would likely pick up what he said.
Luckily, a few minutes later, Cincinnati defensive lineman B.J. Hill stepped to the plate and showed Pratt and the rest of the NFL what it means to stand by one of your brothers. As media swarmed around Ossai, trying to get his comments on the penalty that led to the game-winning kick, Hill stood right beside him, daring any reporter to ask an unfair question or place blame on Ossai for the team’s season ending.
I would encourage any local athletes reading this to act as a Hill, and not a Pratt. If your teammate makes a mistake, be the first to pick them up and let them know things are going to be OK. You know you would want the same said to you if you made a similar error.
Ossai, for his part, stood there and answered every question posed, fighting through tears the entire time. I can’t imagine what that must have been like; knowing that Ossai is just 22 years old makes me empathize with him even more.
Ossai didn’t intend to commit a penalty on the final offensive snap Sunday. He was just trying to make a play, one he thought could be the difference between playing for a title in Arizona or heading back to the couch in Cincinnati.
This one dark moment should not define Ossai’s season. Playing in his first NFL campaign after missing 2021 with an injury, Ossai provided key depth for Cincinnati along the defensive line, totaling 17 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries in 2022.
As he continues his career, this moment should serve Ossai well. At the very least, it has shown him who his true friends on the team are. I hope he’s able to find a little bit of peace in that, and understand that there will be plenty of more opportunities to make an impact in big games.
The Bengals are coming off back-to-back AFC Championship games, and enter the offseason with the third-most cap space of any team behind Chicago and Atlanta. Cincinnati should be a major player in free agency, as it looks to bolster its roster for another deep playoff run next fall.
Expect Ossai to be part of the plan going forward. And I would count on him to make the right play when the time comes.
Sports Editor Jeremy Vernon can be reached at jeremy@chathamnr.com or on Twitter at @jbo_vernon.