Texas EX Joseph Ossai Opens Up About Costly AFC Championship Game Penalty
Joseph Ossai didn't shy away from the question on everyone's mind entering the Cincinnati Bengals' locker room late Sunday evening at Arrowhead Stadium. He fought back tears through bloodshot eyes as one by one, reporters began to ask what happened in the closing seconds of the AFC Championship game.
Ossai, a former star defensive end at Texas, won't be remembered for his highlight plays in the hostile environment known as "Chiefs Kingdom." He won't be praised for his five-tackle performance against a Kansas City offensive line that did its best to keep Patrick Mahomes upright.
Instead, fans will point back to Ossai's costly penalty in the fourth quarter that led to a 23-20 win for Kansas City, punching its ticket to a third Super Bowl appearance in five years. Following the game, the former Longhorn lamented his frustration but considered it a learning experience for his career moving forward.
"I gotta learn from experience," Ossai told reporters postgame. "I gotta know not to get close to that quarterback when he's close to that sideline if it's anything that could possibly cause a penalty in a dire situation like that. I gotta do better."
With less than 10 seconds remaining, Mahomes scrambled outside the pocket to try and pick up a first down on third-and-4. As the potential MVP ran out of bounds, Ossai was in pursuit, hoping to make a play and force a fourth-down stop.
As Mahomes' feet crossed the white line, Ossai added a late push from behind. The two collided into the Bengals' bench, but the damage was done. Officials ruled it an unnecessary roughness penalty and tacked on 15 extra yards to put Kansas City in field goal range.
A play later, Harrison Butker drilled a 45-yard field goal to break the tie with three seconds remaining.
"I was just in full chase mode," Ossai said of the play. "I was trying to push him, maybe get him going backward because I knew he was going for that sideline. I was trying to make him go backward, get that clock running. I haven't seen it yet. I don't know how far out of bounds we were."
Countless players rallied around the second-year defender postgame. Defensive lineman B.J. Hill refused to leave his side during the interview, warning reporters that if they were to ask any dumb questions he'd "shut it down."
Others were busy cleaning out their lockers and answering questions of their own, but Ossai said multiple players consoled him after the final whistle. Defensive end Sam Hubbard, a native of Cincinnati and hero in the AFC Wild Card Round victory over the Baltimore Ravens, told him to learn from the mistake and move on. Tight end Cam Sample was one of the first players to extend a hug as confetti fell on the home team.
Hill, a fifth-year defender who joined the team in 2021, said he had no qualms with Ossai as the penalty could have happened to anybody and didn't dictate the game's outcome.
“That’s my brother,” Hill said. “I’ve been in that situation before, too. I had a chance to make a game-winning sack [against Dallas]. I just missed a sack. I’ve been there. Trying to blame it on one person, I’m not going to have that."
Not everyone in Cincinnati felt the same as those in the locker room. Following the penalty, the Bengals' broadcast team chastised Ossai for not being more aware of the boundary. Veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt was caught on a hot mic walking off the field, stating "Why the [expletive] would you touch the quarterback?”
Social media was far from kind to the former All-American as well. Multiple accounts criticized Ossai for costing the franchise a shot at the Super Bowl by trying to play hero ball instead of letting the play unravel.
While the outside was willing to blame on Ossai, his second family refused.
"There were a lot of plays other than that that could have turned the tide in that game and won us that game. So that's not the only one," Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said.
"We're not going to make it about one play." Bengals head coach Zac Taylor echoed. "He loves ball. He loves being part of this team."
The pain will sting for now, but Ossai said the outpouring of support from his teammates and coaches would help him grow as a person and player. Time will tell how Ossai will recover from the blunder.
Time also will hopefully heal his mentality entering 2023.
"That play is going to find him again," defensive lineman D.J. Reader said. "Those roles are going to find him again as a player, and just be ready for it."
"This pain is going to drive him to be great. He'll get there."
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