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Video of Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt’s immediate reaction to the team’s loss in the 23-20 AFC Championship Game to the Chiefs went viral on Sunday night.
Pratt was filmed walking into the locker room asking “why the hell did you touch the quarterback” in response to Joseph Ossai’s late hit on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The penalty gave the Chiefs 15 yards and set up Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal in the dying seconds.
It was an emotional response to a painful moment, which Pratt explained in a comment on an Instagram post that included a video of his outburst.
“Yep ppl will post anything on social media for likes and views,” Pratt wrote. “I have real feelings, sometimes they are raw. When you love something as much as I do, sometimes things get said in the heat of the moment. But I know what type of teammate I am. And what type of man I am. Trust me, no lost love, I’m hurt. Remember, some people hate you, judge you, and shake you, and try to break you, but I’ll stand my ground like always.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, defensive tackle BJ Hill and others were quick to say that Ossai’s play wasn’t the only reason the Bengals lost on Sunday and that the team will have plenty of time to think about everything that went wrong before. she went back to the soccer field.