Before this season started, Mike Tomlin spoke about how he believes the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense can do historic things. Unfortunately, they didn’t back his comments up in Week 1. They struggled to stop the New York Jets for most of the game, letting them score 32 points. However, they stepped up when it mattered most. Specifically, new Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey made a big-time play on fourth down to seal things. After seeing Ramsey play for the Steelers, Tomlin could only smile ear-to-ear.
“I’m glad he’s on my team,” Tomlin said Sunday via the team’s YouTube channel. “I’ve seen it in stadiums before. A lot of these new Steelers, we’ve covered it for a long time, and sometimes, it’s about opportunity. I’ve certainly been an appreciator of his skills and talents.
“Can’t say enough about him. He played nickel, he played free safety, he played outside corner. He is a top-notch football player, and I’m glad he’s on our team.”
On the day, Ramsey recorded three tackles, two pass defenses, and a hit on the quarterback. While he didn’t record an interception or a fumble, he still had a heavy impact on the game. Without his pass breakup on fourth down, the Steelers’ chances at victory would’ve been in serious jeopardy.
Also, it’s important to acknowledge how helpful Ramsey’s versatility was in his first game with the Steelers. They lost several key pieces of their secondary to injuries, including Joey Porter Jr. and DeShon Elliott. Therefore, they needed to shuffle some pieces around. Ramsey never got exposed in coverage, though. Despite the Steelers’ defensive woes, he put in a good performance.
However, that’s not too surprising. Tomlin has raved about Ramsey basically from the first day that the corner joined the Steelers. In particular, he made sure to praise Ramsey’s football intellect. That was on display in Week 1.
Hopefully, the rest of the Steelers’ defense can get back on track. While Ramsey is new to the team, he’s already leaving his mark. He had a quieter year in 2024, so it was unclear how well he would play for the Steelers. It’s only been one game, but that was a good start for Ramsey. There weren’t many bright spots for the Steelers’ defense in Week 1, but Ramsey was one of them.
