KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The players and coaches of the Cincinnati Bengals offered words of comfort and consolation to Joseph Ossai after a penalty kick that led to the Kansas City Chiefs’ game-winning field goal in the AFC Championship game.
But in the moments after Sunday’s 23-20 loss, Ossai said it was extremely difficult to process the mood. Eyes red and a soft tone, Ossai lamented his final-second penalty that put Kansas City in position for Harrison Butker’s 45-yard field goal on the penultimate play after the scrimmage.
“I have to learn from experience,” Ossai said, relaying advice he received from Cincinnati defensive end Sam Hubbard. “I have to know that I can’t get too close to that quarterback when he’s near that touchline if it’s anything that could potentially cause a penalty in a dire situation like this. I have to do better.”
In third and fourth at the Cincinnati 47-yard line, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled to the right for a first down. As Mahomes went wide, Ossai pushed Mahomes from behind. The two fell to the ground on the Cincinnati touchline, and Ossai was called out for unnecessary rudeness.
“I was just on the hunt,” Ossai said. “I tried to push him, maybe get him to go backwards because I knew he was going for that sideline. I tried to make him walk backwards, make the clock work. I have not seen it yet. I don’t know how far out of bounds we were.”
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The 15-yard penalty put Kansas City in position for the kick, leaving :03. After ten straight wins — and three straight wins against Kansas City — the Bengals were eliminated from the playoffs in a repeat of last year’s AFC Championship game.
Ossai said he injured his left knee in the Mahomes incident. He will have an MRI done to see if there is any damage.
He also said Bengals coach Zac Taylor was one of those who offered encouragement after the game.
“He just told me to keep my head up,” Ossai said. “Told me we had to do a lot of different games that it wasn’t going to come down to this one and we just have to keep going.”
There were several issues that plagued Cincinnati in its bid to repeat itself as the AFC champion and return to the Super Bowl.
As a team, the Bengals committed nine penalties for 71 yards. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been sacked five times. Kansas City wide receiver Skyy Moore returned Drue Chrisman’s punt 29 yards and gave the home team the ball at his own 47-yard line with just 30 seconds in contention.
Bengal defender BJ Hill, who flanked Ossai while answering reporters’ questions in the dressing room after the game, said he had no qualms with Ossai on that penalty.
“I haven’t [any] Any hard feelings about that game because I knew what his intention was: just play hard,” Hill said.
Hill praised Ossai for his efforts in his first NFL season. The 22-year-old from the University of Texas was drafted in the third round in 2021 but missed that entire campaign after suffering a meniscus injury in the preseason. When Bengal defensive end Trey Hendrickson developed a wrist problem late in the regular season, Ossai’s commitment increased.
Against Kansas City and Mahomes, Ossai recorded two team-high quarterback hits.
“They just build this young guy up and make him understand it’s going to be inches in this league,” said Cincinnati Defensive Tackle DJ Reader. “And he will be there to make a lot of games.
“This piece will find him again. Those roles will find him as a player again, and just be ready for it.”
Reader said he had no doubt about it.
“That pain is going to drive him to be awesome,” Reader said. “He will make it.”