The Steelers have loaded up on defense, Jalen Ramsey marking the latest move, but is it part of an arms race with the Bengals? With Cincinnati boasting an impressive passing game, teams do need to keep up. Pittsburgh has to worry about the run game against the Ravens, but Cincinnati might be the deadliest aerial offense.
Since the Ramsey trade, some have suggested that the Steelers are trying to keep up with the Bengals. Even the Steelers—or at least one Steeler—seems to feel that way. That’s how LS Christian Kuntz made sense of the move, commenting on his podcast.
“Cincy loaded up on defense. It seems like, obviously, they’re a juggernaut on offense, and I feel like we’re trying to match them on defense, going to get these guys”, the Steelers’ long snapper said. “It’s cool, I’m excited”.
Since the end of last season, the Steelers have parted with Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams, Elandon Roberts, Donte Jackson, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. In comes Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Malik Harrison, Darius Slay, Juan Thornhill, and Ramsey. Not to mention getting Cole Holcomb back, and adding Jack Sawyer to the pass rush.
Ramsey is the latest addition, the Steelers acquiring him in a trade that saw them move on from Fitzpatrick. While there were some rumblings and speculation, to actually move him was surprising. In one offseason, they traded both George Pickens and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Who would have bet money on that in January? Let alone imagine them adding Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey—even the 30-plus versions.
“Jalen Ramsey, that dude’s a splash play waiting to happen. Any time he’s on the field, he could either stick you, force a fumble, or just run all the way across the field and get a pick”, Kuntz said of his new Steelers teammate. Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase seemed to welcome the addition to the AFC North rivalry.
Of course, the Steelers have to figure out where to put Ramsey, but he’ll obviously see plenty of snaps. They already have two boundary corners, but the slot is up for grabs—as is free safety. I don’t think the Steelers traded for Ramsey just to have him cover the Bengals’ slot receiver, though.
The Bengals have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and the Steelers will have to worry about them for a while. Ramsey is just a piece of the puzzle, or a piece of a piece. While they are reshaping the secondary, it’s a whole defensive effort. With additions like Harmon and Sawyer, they’re also working on bolstering the pass rush. They want to force teams to be one-dimensional by shutting down the run.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow likes to get the ball out quick, but if the Steelers force it, they can make inroads in terms of minimizing the impact of their pricey wide receivers. On the whole, both Chase and Higgins often work down the field. They play off of quick routes, too, of course, but limiting them to short routes forces them to make plays with the ball. And the Steelers are hoping they have the tacklers to keep them in check once the ball is out.
