Jalen Ramsey has become the kind of defensive piece the Steelers can’t do without.
That was the lesson from Sunday’s 26-19 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when Ramsey turned in one of the best performances of his career. He finished with 10 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks, and the biggest one came on 4th-and-8 in overtime to seal the game.
The part that makes it even more impressive: Ramsey is doing it with a broken wrist he suffered in Week 1. He still hasn’t missed a game, and his role has fit exactly what the Steelers had in mind when Patrick Graham said he would handle the STAR job.
According to Sumer Sports, Ramsey now has eight run stops, tied for the league lead among cornerbacks with Cooper DeJean of the Philadelphia Eagles. His two sacks are tied for second among corners, behind Kyler Gordon, who returned to the Chicago Bears’ lineup in Week 6 and had three in one game.
Ramsey has also missed only two tackles this season, which has only sharpened the case that he has become indispensable in this defense. He may not be the outside, press-man corner he was in the late 2010s, but he has grown into a different kind of force - a Joker piece who can wreck a game in multiple ways.
Jamel Dean also delivered a huge day against his former team.
The Steelers brought him in from Tampa in the offseason hoping he would help form a top cornerback duo with Joey Porter, but Porter is now gone and Dean has moved into the lead role at the position. Against the Buccaneers, he broke up six passes, which is a single-game Steelers record.
He also allowed just three catches on 11 targets, the second-fewest receptions allowed on at least 10 targets this season. The only player ahead of him there is his teammate, Asante Samuel Jr, who allowed two catches on 10 targets last week against the Indianapolis Colts.
Dean’s performance only added to what has already been a strong start for the Steelers’ defense, which currently ranks in the top 10 in EPA against the pass and success rate. And yes, he also matched the kind of game the Steelers were hoping to get when he arrived.
Special teams, though, was a mess.
The Steelers found themselves facing the team coached by Danny Smith on the other sideline, and the contrast was obvious. A 59-yard kickoff return from Kaden Wetjen was wiped out by a Cole Holcomb penalty, turning what would have been a start at Tampa Bay’s 41 into a start at their own 20.
Then a punt-team penalty on Doneiko Slaughter changed field position again, shifting the Steelers from the Bucs’ 44 to their own 46. Add in another missed field goal from Chris Boswell, and the special teams unit has gone from reliable to a real problem in six weeks.
There were still plenty of bright spots beyond Ramsey and Dean.
Nick Herbig recorded his first two sacks of the season, a welcome step forward. DK Metcalf and Germie Bernard were both major factors as well, combining for 22 catches.
If the Steelers choose to be aggressive before the trade deadline, safety and linebacker look like the bigger needs than receiver. And there were milestones worth noting, too, with Yahya Black picking up his first career sack and Daylen Everette grabbing his first career interception.
In Other News...
Aaron Rodgers Had A Ruthless Postgame Moment After Steelers Comeback Win
Aaron Rodgers spent much of Sunday night trading punches in the pocket and in the back-and-forth that followed, helping the Steelers survive a tense road test against Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh needed overtime to finish off a comeback win at Raymond James Stadium, and Rodgers was steady enough to keep them alive after a rough start, throwing for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception as the offense found just enough rhythm to get back in the game.
The postgame edge was there, too, after Rodgers had already answered a rookie's trash talk in real time. He later took aim at the field conditions in Tampa, adding another pointed note to a night that had plenty of them. For the Steelers, the result mattered most, but Rodgers made sure the game left a little extra residue beyond the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Finally Get Clarity On Joey Porter Jr. Trade Return
The Joey Porter Jr. trade finally moved from paperwork to certainty when he was active for the Dallas Cowboys' Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers. That appearance satisfied the condition attached to the deal with Pittsburgh, giving the Steelers the clarity they had been waiting for on what they were getting back in return.
With the activation complete, Pittsburgh now has its full draft compensation secured and can close the book on the transaction. The return includes a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, a resolution that lets the Steelers move on from the lingering uncertainty around Porter and look ahead to what those selections can mean down the road. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Escaped Tampa But One Late Decision Will Be Debated
Pittsburgh left Tampa with a 26-19 overtime win, but the victory came with plenty to sort through on both sides of the ball. The offense never found a smooth rhythm for long stretches, and Jaylen Warrens limited first-half workload stood out in a game where the Steelers often needed more balance to help steady the tempo.
The defense delivered enough high-leverage moments to keep Pittsburgh alive, with interceptions from Jamel Dean and Daylen Everette and sacks from Jaylen Ramsey and Nick Herbig helping shape a tense finish. Still, the late-game management will linger as a talking point, especially after the Steelers had a chance to close it out in regulation and instead left the outcome hanging until overtime. [Read more 🡒]