Germaine Pratt Aka 'Playoff P' Continues to Step Up in Big Moments For Bengals

The veteran made a game changing play against the Chiefs in Sunday's win.

When a guy in uniform makes game changing plays and contributes in undeniable ways to help his team earn wins, the fans take notice. They usually show that a player has earned their attention by attaching nicknames to their favorite players.

We saw it here in Cincinnati with Joe Burrow almost immediately as nicknames like Joe Sheisty, Smoking' Joe, Joe Brrr, Joe Cool, and Jackpot Joey started rolling off the tongues of fans in 2020.

Germaine Pratt is earning nickname status too and it started when he made one of the biggest defensive plays of the regular season in the first game last year against Minnesota.

It was a high pressure moment in overtime with the game tied at 24, Vikings were driving, 1st-and-10 from field goal range (Cincinnati’s 38) and Pratt forced Dalvin Cook to fumble the ball and he recovered the ball on Cincinnati's 39-yard line. The Bengals would kick a field goal a few plays later to win the game 27-24.

During the Super Bowl LVI run the nickname ‘Playoff P’ emerged when Cincinnati was in yet another high pressure moment. They were leading the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 and Derek Carr was driving in the red zone with 17 seconds left on the clock. He tried to throw a dart to Zay Jones, and Playoff P intercepted Carr at the two-yard line to clinch the win for Cincinnati.

Pratt has continued to be a stalwart for the Bengals defense and as you may have seen on Sunday against the Chiefs, he’s still making big plays in big moments.

“The Germaine play, that’s just what Germaine’s all about,” Zac Taylor said. 

The fourth-year head coach is talking about the game changing play that Pratt pulled on Travis Kelce early in the fourth quarter. Kansas City had a 24-20 lead and Patrick Mahomes threw a downfield pass to Kelce. The next thing you saw was Pratt on the attack, like a dog with a bone, relentlessly going after the ball and stripping it from the hands of one of the best tight ends in the NFL.

“We knew that we needed to make a turnover,” Pratt said. “We were in Cover-3, [and Travis] Kelce sat down in a little weak spot of the defense. I just had an opportunity to go for the ball.”

Pratt then recovered the ball and put it back in Joey Franchise’s hands.

“In our room we say, ‘Make them play left-handed.’ Take away their main guy, and make everybody else beat you, and we did that well, said Mike Hilton following Cincinnati’s 8th win of the season. Even when he did make a big catch, Germaine (Pratt) made a hell of a play, stripped him, which was a game changer. It’s just credit to everybody doing their job and making a play when they have the chance.”

That game changer gave Burrow an added boost for next series ahead.

“Time to go win the game," Burrow said. “That guy, I feel like I say this every week, but he just makes plays in big time moments to get us the ball back.”

Pratt’s knack for getting to the football and making impactful plays that have the capacity to change the complexion of the game are stacking up and fans aren't the only ones taking notice.

“If there’s a guy who’s scratching and clawing to get turnovers just like he won us the game against Minnesota (Vikings) last year in Week 1 doing the same thing,” Taylor said. “Finding a way, sticking with it—that’s what we appreciate about Germaine. Germaine is playing some outstanding football right now. That’s not shocking.”

Burrow would then put together a 10-play fourth quarter drive that yielded an 8-yard touchdown to Chis Evans.

"He’s playing at the level we need for him to lead us to be confident that we can go win every game we play,” Taylor said of Burrow. “Whatever those conversations are like, there’s no doubt as I’ve said before; I wouldn't trade him for anyone in the world.”

Burrow’s ice response to seal the win and Pratt’s momentum changing play on defense were two big moments that gave Cincinnati the chance to go 8-4 on the season and become the first team to beat the Chiefs’ three times in a calendar year. 

“The character of these guys is what wins games down the stretch in December and January,” Burrow said. “They’ve done a great job of finding those guys; we have one of the best locker rooms I’ve been around. You feel the energy in the room every single day. We have the utmost faith in one another. If one unit isn’t playing great, the other one will step up and make plays.”

The nicknames might change from week to week for Cincinnati’s playmakers, but one thing is certain, executing on big plays is a significant ingredient which makes up this team’s identity.

“We’ll get one [turnovers] next week," Pratt said. "We’ll get two next week."

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