Jalen Ramsey earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week after powering the Pittsburgh Steelers' 26-19 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The award is deserved, but the bigger takeaway is how Patrick Graham can use Ramsey to attack an offense from unexpected places.
Ramsey made 10 tackles, nine solo, with four tackles for loss and two sacks. His final sack dropped rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels for an 11-yard loss on fourth down in overtime, ending Tampa Bay's chance to answer Germie Bernard's touchdown. No defensive back had reached that combination of tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks since at least 2000.
Ramsey missed last Wednesday's practice and was limited for the rest of the week with a wrist injury, then played one of his most physical games in Pittsburgh. That's another argument against locking him into a traditional outside cornerback assignment. His value comes from making offenses account for him in multiple roles.
Why the Pittsburgh Steelers should keep Jalen Ramsey moving
Graham's plan to use Ramsey around the slot and safety made sense before the season and looks better now. The Joey Porter Jr. trade raised questions outside, but shifting Ramsey there permanently would cost Pittsburgh a versatile underneath defender. He can cover inside, support the run, and threaten the quarterback without changing personnel.
Mike McCarthy credited T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith with securing the edges on Ramsey's decisive sack. That wasn't simply veteran freelancing. Graham's pressure call gave Ramsey an attacking lane while the outside rushers eliminated an easy escape.
Of course, Ramsey didn't carry the defense alone. Nick Herbig recorded two sacks, and Jamel Dean added six passes defended and an interception. Pittsburgh held Daniels to 164 passing yards and intercepted him twice. The secondary looked far more coordinated than it had during some earlier stretches.
One dominant outing against a 1-5 opponent and an undrafted rookie doesn't erase Ramsey's 2025 coverage struggles or prove that every blitz will work against experienced quarterbacks. He won't produce this kind of stat line every week, but Pittsburgh can make sure his role keeps creating problems for opposing offenses.
The Steelers' official announcement confirms this is Ramsey's third career weekly defensive award. T.J. Watt has also won it this season. At 4-2, tied with Baltimore and Cleveland atop the AFC North, Pittsburgh has reason to build on a pressure package that doesn't depend entirely on its edge rushers.
New Orleans is next in Paris. Graham's challenge is to disguise Ramsey's rushes without exposing the coverage behind him, especially against a Saints offense coming off a four-touchdown performance by quarterback Tyler Shough.
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