The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense pulled off a 16-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints, but the performance served as a reminder that elite individual talent does not always translate to seamless execution. Defensive back Jalen Ramsey found himself under the spotlight following a difficult outing that highlighted secondary coverage vulnerabilities.
Earning a two-skull grade on the “Locked on Steelers” podcast, Ramsey was docked by host Christopher Carter and guest and fellow analyst Alan Saunders for allowing key pass plays. That included a touchdown where leverage and zone assignments broke down.
Carter pushed back against simple fan outrage over Ramsey’s alignment, offering detailed scheme context to explain what went wrong on the scoring drive.
"Ramsay, just, you know, looked like you know he got burnt for the touchdown," Carter noted during his game review. "Granted I saw a lot of people like how could he be that far off? I was like, I think he was trying to take away inside leverage while also trying to say let me go help if they if they try to run the ball stuff happens. But there were other plays he got beat on and that's why he's here. It's not just that touchdown play."
Saunders agreed that while the defense held up overall, individual lapses in coverage, particularly from experienced starters, cannot become a recurring trend against top-tier offenses. Ramsey's aggressive tendencies and hybrid responsibilities in the secondary require precise synchronization with the rest of the defensive backfield to avoid giving up easy chunk plays downfield.
While Pittsburgh's relentless front line and interior run defense ultimately contained the Saints' attack, Ramsey's uneven outing demonstrates that communication and positioning in the defensive secondary remain work in progress. Refining those coverage details will be essential as the Steelers navigate tougher passing matchups down the stretch.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: How opponents are exploiting coverage gaps against Jalen Ramsey