Jalen Ramsey had a freakish, dominant performance on Sunday. He proved his worth by producing two sacks in their Wild Card playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. At first, Ramsey was on the injury report as questionable due to a hamstring issue sustained in the Week 3 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Nevertheless, he was a full go in practice on Friday. His arrival provided a huge shot in the arm for the Steelers’ defense. They had been looking for their most overall dominant performance of the year.
Ramsey’s missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he was removed from the injury report nonetheless. In game, he operated with a manageable pitch count. He posted six tackles and played 58 defensive snaps, or 77.3% of the team’s defensive snaps. In particular, the two sacks he recorded during the game were very sackalicious. These counted as both the first and last sacks of the afternoon, aiding Ramsey in accomplishing his first-ever multi-sack game in his decade-long NFL career.
Going into this, Ramsey had a grand total of three career sacks. His strong effort illustrated his adaptability and emphasized his influence as an offseason addition. Traded to the Steelers from the Miami Dolphins in June, Ramsey has quickly established himself as a key contributor in just five games with his new team.
“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.” – Aaron Rodgers
Ramsey’s contribution extended beyond just sacks. He’s logged one pick this year. On one of four games played in Dublin, Ireland, as Notre Dame’s local football conference hopped around the world, he was robbed of a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown by an erroneous out-of-bounds call.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin expressed satisfaction with Ramsey’s performance, stating, “We certainly wanted to make sure that he could impact the game.” Tomlin further emphasized Ramsey’s adaptability: “I cannot say enough about Jalen Ramsey. This guy plays outside corner, he plays nickel, he plays free safety. He is exactly what we hoped he would be and certainly he was significant today.”
There’s no overstating the fact that Ramsey can quickly switch positions depending upon the game situation. This elusive skill is what has made him so invaluable to the Steelers. Reflecting on his performance, Ramsey remarked, “In my various roles and things that I play throughout the game, I never count it out, but I wouldn’t say that it was the exact plan.”
With the Steelers in the midst of a competitive season, Ramsey’s impact on and off the field will be important. His seven Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro nods, and a Super Bowl ring speak volumes about his capabilities and experience. Through a turbulent season of highs and lows, he has emerged as one of the biggest difference-makers for Pittsburgh.
Following the game, Ramsey expressed pride in his accomplishments, stating, “I’m going to probably tell my kids about this.” This kind of attitude goes a long way to show his individual success. It showcases the cooperation required to carry home a critical, life-saving victory.
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