'It Was a Gotta-Have-It Moment' - Bengals DE Joseph Ossai Didn't Meet It, But He Has Since, and People Are Noticing

Jay Morrison | Oct 24, 2024

Aug 18, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai (58) returns an interception off Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo found himself repeating his words, but he felt the message was important enough to convey to multiple audiences.

It began Monday when he addressed defensive end Joseph Ossai in front of everybody in the defensive meeting room.

A few days later after Wednesday’s morning walk-through, Anarumo said the same thing while speaking with the media:

“I thought he played his best game since he’s been here,” Anarumo said in reference to Sunday’s performance in the 21-14 victory against the Cleveland Browns.

“He was impactful in the run game,” Anarumo said. “You saw him shed a block – I think it was (Jedrick) Willis – and make a tackle. He did that multiple times. He was around the quarterback. I thought he got held on one of them that he could've had a sack. I was pleased with Joe and the way he played.”

Ossai was pleased that Anarumo was pleased.

“I’m always grateful to hear him say stuff like that,” Ossai said. “If he thinks I played great, that means a lot to me.”

 Something else that meant a lot to him was a pair of teammates telling him he didn’t play great.

It was two weeks ago against the New York Giants when the Bengals were in the process of trying to clean up their run defense when Ossai had a couple of missed tackles that bugged him.

One was on a fourth and 1 when Giants running back Tyrone Tracy slipped him to get the first down. Linebacker Germaine Pratt and safety Vonn Bell came up to him after the play with a message to be better.

“Germaine and Vonn said it in the way they say it, and I know how to take it because they're my teammates,” Ossai said. “They said, 'You can make that play, so make it. Bring your feet, wrap up, bring him down and get us off the field.’

“Those guys aren't afraid to call things out,” Ossai continued. “That's what this defense needs. That's what this defense feeds on, leaders like that."

Pratt famously called out Ossai after his 15-yard penalty in the 2022 AFC Championship Game set up Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker for the game-winning field as time expired.

The next day, Pratt apologized.

This wasn’t that. This was tough love without the venom.

“It was one of those "gotta-have-it" moments," Pratt said. "You've got to make those plays when the opportunity presents itself. I know that he works his tail off to make those plays, so I was just telling him, 'Just make the play. You're there. Just make the play.' And obviously he stepped up the next week and made the play.”

Over and over and over again.

Pro Football Focus had Ossai on the field for seven snaps against the run. He finished with four tackles. That’s an unreal percentage, and something the Bengals have been waiting to see from Ossai, who has flashed as a pass rusher at times but struggled against the run.

Sunday’s performance against the Browns and Nick Chubb can go a long way in Ossai becoming a reliable run defender as the Cincinnati defense continues to put up better numbers.

“(Sunday) was against pretty good tackles over there and a good run game,” Anarumo said. “Yeah, I’m happy. Hopefully it fills him with some confidence.”

Ossai said it has, but he knows he has higher to climb.

“I need to elevate my game every week,” he said. “That’s what I want to do. That’s my goal. Be a better tackler, be a better pass rusher, be a better teammate, be a better everything. Set a standard and raise it every week.”

A third-round pick out of Texas in 2021, Ossai is in the final year of his rookie contract. He’s only appeared in 37 games, and he didn’t really show up in quite a few of them.

Raising the standard will raise the profile of the Bengals defense as a whole, and it will increase his earning potential heading into free agency next offseason.

That, however, is not even on his mind.

His focus is on Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurst and the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles offense.

“Another big one this week,” he said. “Another chance to have my best game.”

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