Late in the offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a splash trade with the Miami Dolphins. Gone was Minkah Fitzpatrick, who had been a stalwart on their defense. However, they acquired another decorated defensive back in Jalen Ramsey in return. Ramsey has been in the league since 2016, being one of the best players at his position for most of that time. While there were concerns that he could be on the decline, Cam Heyward singled Ramsey out as a big reason why the Steelers defeated the New York Jets, 34-32, in Week 1.
“A guy who really brought energy all freaking day was Jalen Ramsey,” Heyward said Sunday via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s YouTube channel. “Even at the end of that first half, you love the chippiness. I felt like it galvanized us in the second half. I loved that play at the end by him. Can’t say enough good things about what that play symbolizes, but there’s no easy pass in this game.”
On paper, the Steelers’ defense should be one of the NFL’s best. However, that couldn’t have been further from the truth at MetLife Stadium. They got bullied on the ground, and they struggled to slow down the Jets’ passing game as well.
The first half was particularly ugly. The Steelers didn’t force a single punt, and they allowed the Jets to score 19 points, taking the lead. The defense looked like the team’s biggest weakness.
However, things started to get chippy as the first half came to a close, as Heyward notes. Ramsey was often at the center of those scrums, making sure that his voice was heard. While that was risky because it could’ve drawn a penalty, it sounds like his fiery spirit energized the Steelers’ defense.
While that group still had issues in the second half, the Steelers managed to slow the Jets down a little. And their defense really stepped up in the fourth quarter. They allowed the Jets to score a touchdown and take the lead with seven minutes to go, but on the following two drives, when the Steelers needed it most, their defense showed up, forcing two stops.
Ramsey made arguably the biggest play of all. With 25 seconds remaining, the Jets trailed by two points and faced a fourth down near midfield. Justin Fields threw to wide receiver Garrett Wilson, but Ramsey broke the pass up, ending New York’s hopes of victory. He was the difference maker there, and according to Heyward, his impact went beyond what he did on the field.
