With the Jaguars in the midst of a five-game losing streak that has dropped them to 3-6, there haven't been as many darts being thrown from noted trash-talker Jaylen Ramsey.
The outspoken cornerback hasn't been afraid to speak his mind on a number of subjects, most notably giving a rundown of the NFL's quarterbacks in an interview with GQ magazine, including Ben Roethlisberger.
"Big Ben, I think he's decent at best," Ramsey said in that interview. "It's not Big Ben, it's (Antonio Brown). Big Ben slings the ball a lot of the time. He just slings it, and his receivers go get it. He has a strong arm, but he ain't all that. I played him twice last year, and he really disappointed me. He'll be in the Hall of Fame and all that."
That last sentence was a heck of a concession for Ramsey.
Roethlisberger brushed off questions about that statement when they came out in August, saying only, "Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I think he’s a fantastic football player. We play them at some point. They got the best of us last year, so I guess he has the right to say whatever he wants.”
Some point is now Sunday at TIAA Bank Field. And while the Jaguars have been trending downward, Roethlisberger seems to be headed in a different direction. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns -- a perfect 158.3 passer rating -- in last week's win over the Panthers, garnering AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the 17th time in his career. Overall, he has thrown for 2,888 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. That puts him on pace for a career-high 5,134 yards and 37 touchdowns.
The seven interceptions in 369 pass attempts are only one more than he had in 97 pass attempts in two games against the Jaguars last season, including a career-high five in a 30-9 Jacksonville victory Oct. 8 at Heinz Field.
Following that game, Roethlisberger quipped, "Maybe I just don't have it anymore," something he's proven isn't the case, including in a 45-42 loss to the Jaguars in the playoffs last season. In that game, he threw for 469 yards and five touchdowns with one interception and a lost fumble against Jacksonville's top-rated defense.
But the result was same as the regular season meeting between the two teams -- a loss.
Because of that, Roethlisberger continues to treat the Jaguars -- and Ramsey -- with nothing but respect.
"He’s, like I said, a great football player," Roethlisberger said Wednesday. "He’s got all the tools. He’s a guy that you have to understand where he is and who he’s covering and be smart. I am not going to fear anybody, I don’t care who they are, but you respect it, for sure."
The Steelers and Roethlisberger will try to earn Ramsey's respect on the field. The All-Pro hasn't been as productive this season as he had in his first two. He's got just one interception and four pass defenses this season, at least in part because fellow corner A.J. Bouye has missed the past two games with a calf injury, allowing opponents to stay away from Ramsey.
Those numbers pale in comparison to the four interceptions and 17 pass defenses Ramsey had a year ago. And he could be getting Bouye back this week against the Steelers.
As he mentioned, Roethlisberger won't shy away from attacking Ramsey or throwing the ball in general against Jacksonville's secondary, which leads the NFL in pass defense, allowing just 201 yards per game.
Jacksonville's defense hasn't been nearly as opportunistic, as its interception total has dropped from 21 a year ago to five this season -- the same amount thrown by Roethlisberger in that first meeting in 2017.
But he's not about to have a replay of that game on the field or even in his mind.
"I think me just making better decisions, better throws," Roethlisberger said. "I hadn’t thought and gone back and looked at that first game again, so I can’t give you specifics, but I know they made plays when they had to."