Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai found himself in the spotlight at the end of Sunday night’s loss to the Chiefs because his late hit on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes helped set the stage for Kansas City’s game-winning field goal in the final seconds.
Ossai faced the music for his penalty in the locker room after the game and said that “in a situation like that I’ve got to be better.” Defensive tackle BJ Hill was standing alongside Ossai when he met the media and said that he would continue to stand up for his teammate because one play did not decide the game or define Ossai as a player.
“Because he’s my brother,” Hill said, via the team’s website. “The same thing happened to me a few years ago. I had a chance to win a game and I missed a sack. One person does not lose a game. That’s not going to fly with me. Especially on this team. A great group of guys. He had a great year. One play doesn’t define who you are. That play right there, he was playing his butt off. He practices how he plays. No hard feelings about that play. He was playing all out.”
Ossai and the Bengals will have a long wait before they’re able to get back on the field and memories of Sunday night’s finish will linger until they are playing football again.