The Big Play: Ramsey slams the door shut ... twice
The defense had a day to forget in a number of ways. But, when they needed to stand tall, right after Chris Boswell made a 60-yard field goal to give the Steelers a late lead, one of the defense's newest toys made a play to put an exclamation point on a 34-32 win over the Jets.
With fourth-and-3 at their own 38-yard line, Justin Fields and the Jets had 25 seconds left on the clock to not only convert the down, but also get in position for Nick Folk to attempt a game-winning field goal. After being flushed from the pocket, Fields scrambled, threw to Garrett Wilson, who had himself a day against this defense, then Jalen Ramsey made the play of the game:
"It was a visual play call, so I was able to get visual on Justin. I saw him kind of moving in the pocket, but saw Garrett coming across the field in my peripheral. And then it's just ... do what I do."
Ramsey doing what he does is exactly why the Steelers acquired him. Not that Minkah Fitzpatrick wasn't a great player, but Ramsey is a different player. And he's one they desperately needed in a game like this.
The Steelers' defense faced a ton of adversity. Not only did they play terribly against the run, giving up 182 yards on the ground, but they were plagued with some attrition. DeShon Elliott left with a knee injury in the first half and didn't return. Joey Porter Jr. had a hamstring tighten up on him, and the coaching staff was proactive and shut him down to avoid a lengthy injury.
Meanwhile, Ramsey was able to play outside cornerback, nickel cornerback and free safety all in one game.
"That was actually the first time in my career that I played every single position in the secondary in one game," Ramsey said.
It didn't look like it. Ramsey finished the game with three tackles, two passes defensed and one quarterback hit. That's already a good game for any player in the secondary. But, that's especially impactful when he's able to do it bouncing from one position to another. And it's especially clutch to be able to lock in amid that to slam the door shut and secure a Week 1 victory.
"In a sense, I'm proud of myself for being able to take on those roles, being able to do all of those different things, be a versatile guy for the team. That's what I pride myself in," Ramsey said. "I'm glad I was able to lock in, step up to the challenge of all those different roles."
THE ASYLUM
The Big Play: Ramsey slams the door shut ... twice
The defense had a day to forget in a number of ways. But, when they needed to stand tall, right after Chris Boswell made a 60-yard field goal to give the Steelers a late lead, one of the defense's newest toys made a play to put an exclamation point on a 34-32 win over the Jets.
With fourth-and-3 at their own 38-yard line, Justin Fields and the Jets had 25 seconds left on the clock to not only convert the down, but also get in position for Nick Folk to attempt a game-winning field goal. After being flushed from the pocket, Fields scrambled, threw to Garrett Wilson, who had himself a day against this defense, then Jalen Ramsey made the play of the game:
"It was a visual play call, so I was able to get visual on Justin. I saw him kind of moving in the pocket, but saw Garrett coming across the field in my peripheral. And then it's just ... do what I do."
Ramsey doing what he does is exactly why the Steelers acquired him. Not that Minkah Fitzpatrick wasn't a great player, but Ramsey is a different player. And he's one they desperately needed in a game like this.
The Steelers' defense faced a ton of adversity. Not only did they play terribly against the run, giving up 182 yards on the ground, but they were plagued with some attrition. DeShon Elliott left with a knee injury in the first half and didn't return. Joey Porter Jr. had a hamstring tighten up on him, and the coaching staff was proactive and shut him down to avoid a lengthy injury.
Meanwhile, Ramsey was able to play outside cornerback, nickel cornerback and free safety all in one game.
"That was actually the first time in my career that I played every single position in the secondary in one game," Ramsey said.
It didn't look like it. Ramsey finished the game with three tackles, two passes defensed and one quarterback hit. That's already a good game for any player in the secondary. But, that's especially impactful when he's able to do it bouncing from one position to another. And it's especially clutch to be able to lock in amid that to slam the door shut and secure a Week 1 victory.
"In a sense, I'm proud of myself for being able to take on those roles, being able to do all of those different things, be a versatile guy for the team. That's what I pride myself in," Ramsey said. "I'm glad I was able to lock in, step up to the challenge of all those different roles."
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