Star defensive back Jalen Ramsey has not lived up to expectations thus far in his inaugural campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, to say the least. He had been a massive liability -- until transitioning from cornerback to safety in the team's impressive 27-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Ramsey thrived in his newfound role against the Colts, and it translated to success for the Steelers. Now having proof of concept, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin plans to return to the well in Week 10.
Tomlin said that Ramsey will "continue to work exclusively at safety" during his media availability ahead of the Steelers' upcoming the Los Angeles Chargers. Whether this is a permanent switch wasn't specified, though it's clear Pittsburgh liked what they saw, and reasonably so.
Steelers HC Mike Tomlin reveals long-overdue plan to keep Jalen Ramsey at safety
"One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity," Tomlin told reporters early in his press conference. He also called Ramsey's "positional flexibility" an "asset" to the Steelers, especially at times like this, when their secondary is banged up.
Moreover, when asked about what makes Ramsey fit to shift to safety, Tomlin couldn't have been much more complimentary.
"It's just [Ramsey's] relationship with the game," Tomlin said. "He's got really good instincts, he's got really good passion for the game, studies the games. I think those are some things that really enable him to play back there and that's such a major component of that position. His talents are obvious. His tackling, his range, his physicality, but the more subtle things, the intangible things, I think are the things that are exciting for us."
By the sound of it, Ramsey certainly seized the chance to reinvent himself. He stepped up in place of incumbent starter Chuck Clark and veteran backup Jabril Peppers, who were unavailable versus Indy. The seven-time Pro Bowler fared so well that Tomlin wants to see him build on the strong performance when the Steelers face the Chargers.
Pittsburgh forced a whopping six turnovers in its massive victory over the Colts, five of which came from Colts quarterback Daniel Jones. For context, the Steelers had 10 takeaways in their prior seven contests. Ramsey's increased presence in the box and on the last line of defense was certainly a factor.