Jalen Ramsey Has Golden Opportunity Sunday Night
Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) intercepts a pass against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Oct. 29, 2023.
With a playoff berth fully secured, the 11-5 Miami Dolphins are set to face off against the 10-6 Buffalo Bills in the last week of the regular season. Yet even with a playoff berth clinched, this is still a high stakes game for the Dolphins with major playoff implications. If Miami beats Buffalo on Sunday Night Football, they will be crowned AFC East champions and will possess the No. 2 seed in the AFC. However, if the Bills beat the Dolphins, Buffalo would win the AFC East since they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Miami.
At the center of this high-stakes matchup are arguably two of the biggest egomaniacs in the NFL, Jalen Ramsey and Stefon Diggs. For Ramsey, this will be his first game against Diggs as a member of the Dolphins. Ramsey was still recovering from a torn meniscus back when Buffalo curb-stomped Miami by a score of 48-20 back in Week 4. Diggs made the most of Ramsey’s absence that week, catching six passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
As great as Diggs’ performance against the Dolphins’ secondary was, Week 4 feels like a century ago. If we’re being honest, nobody should put too much stock into Diggs’ dominant individual performance against an injured Dolphins secondary. This week’s matchup will be a lot more meaningful. Ramsey has a chance to showcase why the Dolphins traded for him last season, and Diggs can prove that his recent statistical slump is merely a fluke. This matchup between two infamous trash talkers in Ramsey and Diggs will be the catalyst for one of them to repair their bruised ego.
Ramsey has a bit of a history against Diggs. It’s not on the same level as A.J. Green putting Ramsey in a chokehold, Draymond Green-style, but it’s noteworthy nonetheless. The first time Ramsey faced off against Diggs in a Bills uniform was in 2020. Back then, Ramsey was balling out in Los Angeles. He finished the 2020 season with first-team All-Pro honors, the second of his career, and he also made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. In that meeting against Diggs, Ramsey held him to four catches for just 49 yards. It’s safe to say that Ramsey won that matchup, even though the Rams lost the game, 35-32.
Ahead of the Bills matchup against the Rams in 2022, Diggs decided to throw some flattery Ramsey’s way. “He’s a good-a** player,” Diggs said. “Everybody knows that.”
While Diggs’ compliments were probably genuine, it wouldn’t surprise me if that was more of a strategic move to try and soften up his opponent before the game. Needless to say, Ramsey wasn’t falling for it. As a matter of fact, it may have offended him.
Ramsey doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who enjoys buddying up with other players. He wants to be feared. Diggs’ compliment, in an abstract way, took some of that power away from him. In response, Ramsey said, “He’s good, but like I said I’m not here to blow smoke and talk about how good this person may be or may not be… They probably feel confident. They probably feel the same way that we’re feeling, but when Thursday comes it’s football. I don’t want to really be nice to nobody. I’m not boosting nobody up.”
These pre-game quotes from Diggs and Ramsey were essentially a form of tactical warfare on both fronts. Diggs wanted to use flattery to try and get the upper hand, while Ramsey used his trademark bluntness to try and assert his dominance. This all culminated into a big day for Diggs, who had six receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown when defended by Ramsey. Following his 53-yard touchdown, Diggs was able to clap back at Ramsey by doing a little end-zone taunt. Unfortunately for Diggs, taunting is against the rules and he was fined $10,609 for having a little fun because the NFL is the No Fun League.
Despite having never beaten Diggs in the regular season, Ramsey could be in prime position to get some much-needed revenge. Diggs has been in a statistical slump for a while now. Case in point, he hasn’t had a 100-plus yard game since October 15 against the New York Giants. These past four weeks, Diggs has averaged 4.25 receptions on 31.75 yards, and he hasn’t even scored a receiving touchdown. Ramsey is catching Diggs at a low point, which provides him a golden opportunity to boost his ego against the man who shattered it last season.
The Dolphins and Bills are both playing for the AFC East crown and playoff seeding, but Jalen Ramsey is playing for that and a whole lot more. Ramsey has a chance to reassert his dominance against one of the feistiest wide receivers in the league on primetime television. For someone like Ramsey who plays his best football when the lights are at their brightest, this is the best thing he could possibly ask for.
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