Bengals Beat: Light Switch Flipped On For Joseph Ossai ‘Elevate My Game Every Week’

CINCINNATI — Lou Anarumo didn’t hesitate Wednesday to praise one of the more gifted defensive players who has struggled at times with consistency and production in his Cincinnati career.

But the Bengals defensive coordinator saw something in Joseph Ossai last Sunday in Cleveland that caught his attention.

“I was very pleased. I told Joe. I told him in front of the defense the other day I though he played his best game since he’s been here,” Anarumo said. “He was impactful in the run game. You saw him shed a block — I think it was off (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 finished with just four tackles but it was his play along the defensive line that stuck with Anarumo. He had three unassisted tackles on the day, leading all Bengals defensive linemen. It wasn’t just the production, it was shedding blocks at the line of scrimmage, keeping his head up and reading the play, even when it wasn’t the quarterback he was running down.

That’s one game. The key to Anarumo’s true trust can be found in consistency. That’s what he and the organization need to see from their third-round pick in 2021 on a weekly basis. There have no doubt been flashes of it.

His performance in the second half of the 2022 AFC championship was downright dominant before the most ignominious and regrettable personal foul in Bengals history. He was flying all over the field. Making all sorts of plays, including one that forced a punt and gave Joe Burrow a chance to drive the length of the field in the closing minutes.

What did Anarumo’s praise mean to Ossai?

“A lot of gratitude, for sure,” Ossai told me. “He’s a great coach, and he if he thinks I played at that high of a level, and I appreciate it. I appreciate hearing that from him.”

But then Ossai, unsolicited, offered a glimpse of why Anarumo’s message and the urgency of his own career advancement, might finally be turning on.

“Most importantly, if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse,” Ossai continued. “So I’ve just got to look to elevate, elevate my game every week and have that be the standard. Trey (Hendrickson) said something like that to me when I had a really good camp one day. He said, ‘Have that be the standard and then build from that.’ So that’s what I’m looking forward to doing, getting better at tackling, getting better at executing at a high level, and taking that standard and raising it every game.”

Ossai has – for the most part – taken full advantage of his increased snaps this year, with the season-ending injury to Cam Sample in camp and the early season setbacks to Myles Murphy and Sam Hubbard that left the Bengals extremely thin on the edges. His production and play was even more critical considering the injuries on the interior line to players such as BJ Hill, Sheldon Rankins and McKinnley Jackson.

Everyone knew coming out of Texas, Ossai had a high motor for getting after the passer. But if he wants a longer career in the league or simply be trusted more as a three-down lineman, Anarumo has to trust him in running situations.

Ossai has worked hard on not just rushing the quarterback but learning the craft of cornering an NFL running back and being sure to bring him to the ground.

“Being physical, being aggressive, wrapping up, bringing your feet,” Ossai said. “Against the Giants, I missed a couple because I left my feet behind, stuff like that. So having an emphasis on being aggressive, being physical, wrapping up and bringing your feet, staying low, too. Lou will tell you all the time (with a) good back, don’t attack them high, you hit them low, you hit them in the waistline, and you drive your feet.”

The challenge is pretty stiff this week with the NFL’s second-leading rusher coming to town in Saquan Barkley. But Ossai said he’s not worried about doing it all himself.

“Eleven hats to the ball, you know? I personally love playing great backs like that. I love playing higher talent, and I know the guys in that room love that, too. They don’t shy away from from a competition, so to speak. So it’s going to take 11 hats. 11 hats to the ball. Everybody taking a great angle, because he’s very agile as he is strong, taking a great angle. When you get there, be physical, bring your hips, run your feet and wrap up.

“(He’s) very, very, very elusive and still strong when he runs, too, which is why he’s a great back. He’s not just a shifty back that relies mainly on elusiveness. He can also stick his foot in the ground, run through you and be elusive. And soon as his feet hit the ground, he’s still running and he’s going vertical and doing what he needs to do. So again, 11 hats on the ball will take care of that.”