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‘Why the hell did you touch him?’: Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt rages at teammate Joseph Ossai after defensive end’s late hit on Patrick Mahomes cost Cincinnati a Super Bowl berth
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt yelled at teammate Joseph Ossai as they headed to the locker room after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bengals painfully missed out on a Super Bowl berth following a narrow 23-20 loss to the Chiefs in the final seconds of the AFC Championship game on Sunday.
Cincinnati came within a stop or two of forcing the game into overtime when Ossai landed a late hit on Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs’ quarterback went out of bounds near the Bengals 40-yard line.
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt (left) yelled at teammate Joseph Ossai (right).
Ossai delivered a late hit to Patrick Mahomes (right) as the Chiefs quarterback went out of bounds
The defensive end was penalized, setting up Harrison Butker’s 45-yard field goal attempt, which he sent flying over the uprights and hit the Chiefs’ ticket to Super Bowl 2023 with three seconds remaining.
The Bengals were understandably upset by the close loss, and Pratt couldn’t contain his frustration.
He was seen screaming in anger over the late penalty and dramatic game-winning kick as he made his way to the dressing room.
Harrison Butker is lifted into the air by teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal
“It’s my last fucking set,” Pratt yelled. ‘What the hell? Why the hell did you tag the quarterback?
After his tirade was posted on social media, the 26-year-old responded by insisting he didn’t miss out on love.
“Yes, people will post anything on social media to get likes and views,” Pratt wrote on Instagram. ‘I have real feelings, sometimes they are raw. If you love something like I do, sometimes things will be said in the heat of the moment.
After his tirade was posted on social media, Pratt responded by insisting that he didn’t miss out on love.
‘But I know what kind of [sic] I am a teammate. And what kind of man am I. Trust me, there is no love lost. I’m hurt. Remember some people who hate you, rate you, shake you and try to break you, but I’ll stand tall as always.
After costing his team a Super Bowl berth, Ossai was seen crying on the sidelines as Mahomes and company celebrated their AFC Championship crown.
He also appeared to hurt his knee on the play while being treated by medical personnel.
Ossai’s other Bengals teammates continued to support the 22-year-old Nigerian native, who was seen crying on the sideline after the loss. In particular, defensive tackle BJ Hill was seen standing over Ossai as he answered tough questions in the locker room afterward.
“It means a lot to me,” Ossai told reporters when asked about that endorsement. ‘These guys mean a lot to me. We come every day and work hard for each other. Knowing that I have my back is giving me peace right now.
Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor also refused to blame Ossai after the loss.
“It’s tough,” Taylor said after Sunday’s season-ending loss. ‘One play. It didn’t come down to that.