Jalen Ramsey spent part of Friday explaining what he meant when he described a disconnect inside the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense. On Sunday he finished the argument on the field, blitzing from the nickel spot and sacking Tampa Bay rookie Jalon Daniels on fourth-and-8 with 1:06 left in overtime to close out a 26-19 win at Raymond James Stadium.
It capped a stat line of 10 tackles, four of them behind the line of scrimmage, and two sacks.
Jalen Ramsey had himself a day 👏
– 10 TOT
– 4 TFL
– 2 sacks, one being the game winner pic.twitter.com/hWQknuWlc7— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026
What Ramsey said before the trip
Ramsey’s comment a week earlier about a gap between the players and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham had turned into a talking point, and on Friday he tried to put it to rest. He compared it to the disagreements he has with his father, whom he called his best friend, and said both sides want the same thing. “We just got to get on the same page sometimes,” he said, adding that the frustration came from people reading his words as a demand for players to run their own defense. What he wants, he explained, is room within Graham’s calls to suggest a different route to the same result.
He also talked up the return of cornerback Jamel Dean for a game against the team Dean played seven seasons for. “It’s a big game, a big moment,” Ramsey said of facing a former club.
Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey further clarified last week's "disconnect" comment, and he was expansive in explaining his relationship with Patrick Graham and their share vision for the defense.
"Last week I said that there was a disconnect, which I felt like I cleared it up, but if…
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 16, 2026
How the defense closed it
Both of the men Ramsey talked about on Friday shaped the ending. Dean jumped a route meant for Emeka Egbuka during the Buccaneers’ two-minute drive and returned his first interception as a Steeler 40 yards to the Tampa Bay 3, setting up Chris Boswell’s 20-yard field goal with 1:21 to play. Chase McLaughlin tied it from 53 yards with eight seconds left, and Aaron Rodgers then opened overtime with a 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended in a 6-yard touchdown to rookie Germie Bernard.
Tampa Bay needed a touchdown and got as far as fourth-and-8. Ramsey came on the blitz and ended it.
The Steelers finished with four sacks and two interceptions, the first time since Week 2 they had gotten to the quarterback more than twice. Ramsey and Nick Herbig had two each, Yahya Black had one, and Daylen Everette also intercepted Daniels. Payton Wilson led the team with 11 tackles, and Dean was credited with six passes defended.
Ramsey did all of it while managing the wrist that has kept him out of Wednesday practices for two weeks running; he was listed as questionable going into the weekend. His season is tracked on his WhyNFL player page, and the game is in the Game Center.
What comes next
Pittsburgh is 4-2 with its first road win and first winning streak of the season. The Steelers meet the New Orleans Saints at Stade de France in Paris on Sunday, October 25, at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
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