Steelers' Week 1 Gameplan Vs. Jets Could Result In Big Mismatch That Favors New York

The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for their opening weekend matchup against the New York Jets. This is about as important as a Week 1 game can get, as either quarterback losing to their former team would likely take huge hit to their morale. Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields may be downplaying the significance of this contest, but any sort of issue would lead to more questions being asked than answers learned. The only way to figure out which team made the right decisions with their quarterbacks is to sit back and enjoy the show starting on Sunday.

There are still plenty of other factors to take into account, however. For example, the Steelers officially named Jalen Ramsey as the top cornerback on the team, and his responsibility will be to lock down each team's best wide receiver. In this case, he will be matched up one-on-one a ton with Garrett Wilson, who recently received a new extension for his great play against guys like Ramsey. 

According to Stefan Stelling of Jets X Factor, Wilson had his way with Ramsey in the 2024 season, when the veteran defensive back played for the Miami Dolphins. Stelling brings up the combined stats from both Jets vs Dolphins games that year. In total, Wilson caught seven passes on nine targets for 137 yards, including 58 after the catch. 

He also forced a defensive pass interference penalty, and Ramsey only got his hand on the ball once for a pass breakup. 

Stelling was able to provide video footage of Wilson lining up against Ramsey, as both players showed different looks on different plays. In the four clips he showed, Ramsey did not look anything like the elite cornerback that he has been hyped up to be. He even missed a tackle against Wilson, where his effort on that specific play might be put into question. Overall, it seems like the Jets wideout is excited to go against the former Dolphin again.

With the number of short passes and checkdowns that the Steelers had Fields throw in 2024, he would likely be very comfortable with Offensive Coordinator Tanner Engstrand drawing up some quick passes to Wilson and letting him do the rest of the work to beat Ramsey. Considering the fact that the rest of their receiver room is arguably very weak overall, along with the aforementioned information, it would not be surprising to see New York's WR1 seeing 10+ targets in Week 1.

Steelers May Be Forced To Rotate Cornerbacks On Wilson

Despite being named CB1, Ramsey is still seen as a versatile player that can play every position in the secondary. On the other side, the game film has shown Wilson's ability to play in the slot and outside, and that could test the communication of the Steelers early. If the receiver starts in the slot and moves outside, the corners may just swap assignments. 

Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay are both very capable cornerbacks who strictly play on the outside. It won't be surprising to see either of them on Wilson at some point on Sunday too. The Steelers even adapted a new "quarters" look for certain situations, where the defense can easily communicate as offensive players line up in different spots and go in motion. Ramsey could easily pass off duties to Porter or Slay while he takes whichever receiver is lined up in the slot at the time in the nickel defense. Wilson was 5/9 for 61 yards receiving against Pittsburgh in 2024, which is a whole lot better than what Ramsey did in two games. There's no doubt this will likely be a group effort against Wilson.

What do you think about Wilson's 2024 stats against Ramsey? How will they fare in Week 1 of 2025? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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