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One of the marquee matchups for the Pittsburgh Steelers coming into the Week-11 game vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars was Antonio Brown vs. Jalen Ramsey.
These two arguably are the best of the best in the NFL at their respective positions, but maybe the true matchup should have been Ben Roethlisberger vs. Ramsey.
Ramsey has gotten the best of Roethlisberger before, and prior to the game was asked if he might shy away from throwing Ramsey’s way.
“With respect. He’s, like I said, a great football player. He’s got all the tools. He’s a guy that you have to understand where he is and who he’s covering and be smart. I am not going to fear anybody. I don’t care who they are, but you respect it for sure.”
In the Week-11 showdown between the two teams and the two players, Ramsey got the best of Roethlisberger on more than one occasion — two interceptions to be exact. But it was Roethlisberger who would get the last laugh.
While Ramsey wasn’t burnt on multiple occasions as the Steelers put up 20 points in the final 17 minutes of the game, he was the closest defender when it mattered most.
Take a look at these statistics, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN:
Ben Roethlisberger struggled mightily targeting Jalen Ramsey through three quarters but went 5-of-6 passing in the fourth with Ramsey as the nearest defender, per NFL Next Gen Stats.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 18, 2018
Again, Ramsey wasn’t the lone defender who was beat, but as the Jaguars went into their zone-defense schemes, trying to prevent the Steelers from putting points on the board, it was Ramsey’s zone/area which was exploited.
Say what you want about last year, but the Steelers were the team who walked off the Jaguars’ home field victorious, and they most likely got more than just a win — they also stole the Jaguars’ playoff hopes in the process.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they now turn their attention to the Denver Broncos in Week 12.