There’s been a lot of debate and discussion about how the Rams are using Jalen Ramsey on defense this season. The All-Pro cornerback has taken on a more versatile role, lining up in the slot more than he ever has.
It makes sense considering how good he is against the run and as a blitzer, but it’s also prevented Ramsey from covering some of the best receivers in the league. Against the Packers on Sunday, Ramsey didn’t shadow Davante Adams, who is clearly Green Bay’s biggest weapon.
Aaron Rodgers connected with Adams a handful of times when Ramsey wasn’t on him, taking advantage of favorable matchups when they presented themselves. During his appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” Tuesday, Rodgers shared his thoughts on how the Rams are using Ramsey and he understands the approach because of how easy it is for quarterbacks to avoid a great cornerback if he lines up outside in zone coverage.
“He’s been playing a lot of nickel, actually, for them – probably because he’s such a great player and you can maybe at times lose him in games if he’s playing outside and teams are just gonna ignore that side of the field,” Rodgers said. “So he started playing inside more and he’s a really good blitzer and he can cover inside or outside. But with Davante, he was doing some traveling but he wouldn’t sometimes travel on motion from one side to the other.”
"Jalen Ramsey is such a great player & you have to be aware of where he is on the field at all times.. that deep ball to Davante was an ad lib on his part.. him & I have such an unspoken chemistry on the field" ~@AaronRogers12#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/RU69cQrt8U
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 30, 2021
Rodgers pointed out that on Adams’ 43-yard catch, the Packers motioned tight end Josiah Deguara to the outside, which caused Ramsey to move with him after initially being lined up on Adams. That left Dont’e Deayon to cover Adams, and he got beat for a big play.
Rodgers knows how good Ramsey is and is aware of where he’s at on the field at all times, picking and choosing his spots when targeting a receiver in Ramsey’s area.
“He’s a great player. You have to be wary of certain routes that you throw on his side because he’ll bait you into throwing certain things and sit on routes from time to time, and there is a little bit of a guessing game,” he said. “But it also depends on the guy who’s over there on his side. We had a good plan with trying to get the ball out quickly.”
Adams beat Ramsey for five catches and 41 yards on five targets, but he only gained an average of 1.6 yards of separation, so it’s not as if he left the Rams corner in the dust with his route running.
Ramsey is such a talented corner and it’s understandable that fans want to see him on the opposing No. 1 receiver at all times, but the game plan doesn’t always allow for that and Rodgers gets why the Rams are using him the way they do.
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