Jalen Ramsey was the target of constant ridicule following the 2022 season opener.
That was after Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie collected a combined four first downs facing the Los Angeles Rams top cornerback and gained 101 yards on routes and catches his direction. It marked one of the worst nights of the perennial Pro Bowler’s career — and led to fan ridicule and media criticism online after the opening debacle against the Buffalo Bills.
And no surprise, the Atlanta Falcons targeted the Rams All-Pro on Sunday, September 18 at SoFi Stadium, especially in the aftermath of Ramsey’s rather forgetful performance in the 21-point defeat to the visiting Bills. Atlanta made sure to send its top, towering receiver options over Ramsey’s way.
And how did Ramsey respond this time?
Ramsey Sends Fiery Message
Ramsey just needed two sentences and 10 words…then a repeat of his final eight words to send his fiery message to those who doubted him in the Rams’ 31-27 home win.
“I’M HIM. I LOVE IT WHEN THEY COUNT ME OUT.” Ramsey shouted, caught on film by the Rams Twitter account.
“I’M HIM. I LOVE IT WHEN THEY COUNT ME OUT.”
🗣️ @jalenramsey
What prompted the fiery statement? Ramsey this time denied reservations for six from the Falcons — timing his jump and hands stretch over the taller 6-foot-3, 215-pound Bryan Edwards in the end zone for this interception:
CINCO COMING UP CLUTCH!
🏈 @jalenramsey | 📺 @NFLonFOX
And that aerial snatch came in a crucial moment for a Rams team that needed to stall a late Falcons rally: It arrived with less than 1:15 left in the game.
JALEN RAMSEY IS HIM 😤
📺: #ATLvsLAR on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/bM69Jy3G4O
How Ramsey Fared & Reaction Post Game From McVay
In Week 1, Ramsey was considered the nearest cornerback on the Diggs and Davis touchdowns.
But this time, he wasn’t torched in single coverage in the end zone.
The Drake London touchdown for Atlanta’s first six-point play of the afternoon? Ramsey was on the opposite side of the play on that red zone score.
A moment @DrakeLondon_ will never forget.
📺: @FOX5Atlanta || NFL+
#ATLvsLAR || #DirtyBirds
If anything, this touchdown by Olamide Zaccheaus came with Ramsey in the vicinity. Although, Ramsey was playing his “star” role on defense and played the role of safety. And on this play, he was expecting to receive some cornerback help, but quarterback Marcus Mariota found Zaccheaus all alone on the busted coverage.
Still, Ramsey got reacclimated with his ball-hawking side. Along with the late interception, Ramsey delivered two pass deflections and collected two tackles.
Before the game, Ramsey was asked how he would respond to adversity following the disappointing loss and how he played versus Buffalo.
“I don’t know…I just got confidence in me,” Ramsey told reporters on Friday at the Rams’ Thousand Oaks facility. “I don’t know if it’s one specific way that I do it either.”
Then came this next fastball thrown to Ramsey: Does it fire him up to see people criticize him on social media?
“I take it as a compliment that people don’t think that I’ve ever played a bad game. I guarantee that was definitely in my opinion, that wasn’t my worst game that I’ve ever played. But if that’s what people think, than I’m doing well for myself.”
This time, there was a much different opinion about the topic of Ramsey. And it came from his head coach Sean McVay — who first stated how Ramsey had a “big time” impact on the Rams’ win
“I think it started with his accountability,” McVay said following the Sunday win. “And you know, I’m just so happy for Jalen. Watching him continue to grow, he’s obviously always been a great player but now you watch him continue to assert himself as a leader, and I think it starts with his accountability, the ownership and the standards he has for himself. And I thought it translated to a great week of practice and then, obviously, he made a bunch of impact plays that tilted the outcome in our favor today.”
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Rams’ Jalen Ramsey Sends Fiery Message to his Doubters [LISTEN]