The Steelers acquired Jalen Ramsey because he's a difference maker. Nothing against Minkah Fitzpatrick. He's been a great player for the Steelers in his own right. But, in the Steelers' 23-9 win over the Browns on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, Ramsey showed everyone why he's in Pittsburgh.
Coming off a week in which Ramsey missed two practices while nursing a hamstring injury, he not only played 63 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, but recorded six tackles and two tackles for loss. Both of those TFLs were sacks. One in the first quarter ...
... and the other in the fourth quarter:
Ramsey's been known for being a good blitzer. And it sure didn't look like he was slowed down by any hamstring issue on either play, giving him full bragging rights after the game.
"I'm going to probably tell my kids about this," Ramsey said. "I played in a game with T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett and had two sacks."
Ramsey wasn't asked to do nearly as much in this game as he had been over the first four games, but that doesn't matter nearly as much as the heart he gave to even play.
Hamstring injuries can be very tricky. If not treated properly, they can linger and derail seasons. Mike Tomlin said at the outset of the week that Ramsey was "aggressive" in his rehab over the bye week to try and be available for this game. And, yeah, the smart thing is to probably sit for a couple games.
But, to emphasize the point here, nobody said it better than Aaron Rodgers after the game:
"I do want to make a point and talk about Ramsey," Rodgers said. "Because what he did this week getting ready to play ... I've been around the game a long time, and I've seen a lot of guys in a situation where you got a Sunday/Thursday, skip both games. Where maybe they're 85 percent, but they want to be 100 percent, because I think there's a fear of failure almost that can paralyze them where, 'If I don't play my best game, then what does that say about me if I'm not 100 percent?' I think some guys are scared to go out there and play, but for Jalen to go out there with everything he's accomplished in this league, I just can't say enough about the level of respect I have for him. He had, what, two sacks and pass break-ups and tackles. If there was any question about the type of person that he is -- take away the incredible player -- but the person and teammate, I think he just showed all of us the kind of guy that he is by going out there and playing today."
Ramsey is going to make an impact on the field. That's just who he is. He's been a premier cornerback in this league for 10 seasons. But, to Rodgers' point, the willingness to do whatever it takes to get on the field, even for a game in early October, speaks volumes to Ramsey's dedication.
More important, it shows the buy-in Ramsey has. That kind of stuff is contagious. That's the kind of stuff that championship teams are made of.
Now, the Steelers have quite a bit more to prove to be considered a championship-caliber team. However, they have a lot of guys doing the right things. Ramsey might not have had the biggest impact on the field today. Rodgers played perhaps his best game as a Steeler. DK Metcalf was phenomenal. But, Ramsey's drive to suit up for the game made an impact on his teammates. That elevates the whole team.
People don't like to talk about intangible stuff like this anymore. Everything has to be quantified nowadays. But, to hear Rodgers talk about Ramsey the way he did after the game, that's just proof that the intangibles absolutely still matter.
THE ASYLUM
The Big Player: Ramsey puts it all on the line
The Steelers acquired Jalen Ramsey because he's a difference maker. Nothing against Minkah Fitzpatrick. He's been a great player for the Steelers in his own right. But, in the Steelers' 23-9 win over the Browns on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, Ramsey showed everyone why he's in Pittsburgh.
Coming off a week in which Ramsey missed two practices while nursing a hamstring injury, he not only played 63 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, but recorded six tackles and two tackles for loss. Both of those TFLs were sacks. One in the first quarter ...
... and the other in the fourth quarter:
Ramsey's been known for being a good blitzer. And it sure didn't look like he was slowed down by any hamstring issue on either play, giving him full bragging rights after the game.
"I'm going to probably tell my kids about this," Ramsey said. "I played in a game with T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett and had two sacks."
Ramsey wasn't asked to do nearly as much in this game as he had been over the first four games, but that doesn't matter nearly as much as the heart he gave to even play.
Hamstring injuries can be very tricky. If not treated properly, they can linger and derail seasons. Mike Tomlin said at the outset of the week that Ramsey was "aggressive" in his rehab over the bye week to try and be available for this game. And, yeah, the smart thing is to probably sit for a couple games.
But, to emphasize the point here, nobody said it better than Aaron Rodgers after the game:
"I do want to make a point and talk about Ramsey," Rodgers said. "Because what he did this week getting ready to play ... I've been around the game a long time, and I've seen a lot of guys in a situation where you got a Sunday/Thursday, skip both games. Where maybe they're 85 percent, but they want to be 100 percent, because I think there's a fear of failure almost that can paralyze them where, 'If I don't play my best game, then what does that say about me if I'm not 100 percent?' I think some guys are scared to go out there and play, but for Jalen to go out there with everything he's accomplished in this league, I just can't say enough about the level of respect I have for him. He had, what, two sacks and pass break-ups and tackles. If there was any question about the type of person that he is -- take away the incredible player -- but the person and teammate, I think he just showed all of us the kind of guy that he is by going out there and playing today."
Ramsey is going to make an impact on the field. That's just who he is. He's been a premier cornerback in this league for 10 seasons. But, to Rodgers' point, the willingness to do whatever it takes to get on the field, even for a game in early October, speaks volumes to Ramsey's dedication.
More important, it shows the buy-in Ramsey has. That kind of stuff is contagious. That's the kind of stuff that championship teams are made of.
Now, the Steelers have quite a bit more to prove to be considered a championship-caliber team. However, they have a lot of guys doing the right things. Ramsey might not have had the biggest impact on the field today. Rodgers played perhaps his best game as a Steeler. DK Metcalf was phenomenal. But, Ramsey's drive to suit up for the game made an impact on his teammates. That elevates the whole team.
People don't like to talk about intangible stuff like this anymore. Everything has to be quantified nowadays. But, to hear Rodgers talk about Ramsey the way he did after the game, that's just proof that the intangibles absolutely still matter.
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