Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive problems culminated in a boiling point when star cornerback Jalen Ramsey expressed his frustrations after the team lost a road contest to the Cincinnati Bengals by a margin of 33 to 31 on Thursday. Ramsey did not go easy when he had to discuss what he saw as missed calls and execution lapses that resulted in the loss.
“We have to play better. You have WRs that are superstars, you know that they get away with sh*y like that. It is what it is. Got to play the game. Got to execute,” Ramsey said postgame.
WOW: #Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey went of on his team saying they need to be better 😬
“We have to play better. You have WRs that are superstars, you know that they get away with sh*y like that. It is what it is. Got to play the game. Got to execute”pic.twitter.com/sL3OoR93ab
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 17, 2025
Jalen Ramsey Takes Accountability Amid Defensive Meltdown
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Jul 24, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey (5) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Ramsey said that the Steelers’ secondary had a challenging game. Joe Flacco threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, showing problems with communication and coverage that hurt Pittsburgh all night.
“We have to play better, starting with myself, when the opportunity presents itself,” Ramsey said, noting that the team must focus on discipline and execution instead of officiating. His frustration peaked in the second quarter, when Ja’Marr Chase appeared to push off before hauling in a touchdown. Despite a flag for defensive pass interference on Ramsey, the call stood, fueling the cornerback’s postgame remarks.
Still, Ramsey stopped short of blaming the referees. He emphasized accountability and preparation instead, saying that elite receivers “get away with (expletive)” but that the Steelers “have to execute when you get the opportunity.” His words echoed the sentiment of T.J. Watt, who later called the defense’s showing “absolutely unacceptable.”
“It seemed like everything went wrong,”Watt said. “Absolutely an unacceptable performance from us on the defensive side of the ball.”
Fans Fire Back After Frustrating Loss
While Ramsey’s remarks reflected competitive emotion, fans quickly turned the criticism back on him.
Oneuser wrote,“I hope he’s talking about himself 😂😂😂 the way Ja’Marr Chase lit him up last night.”
Another added,“This coming from the guy who got lit up, badly, the whole game.”
Others pointed to technical flaws rather thanofficiating.“They need to improve footwork… a lot of the PI penalties were a result of poor footwork leading to hand fighting,” one fan noted.
Another echoed the sentiment bluntly:“I’m sorry but this time it’s HIM. HE actually was a liability.”
The criticism reached a common theme that Ramsey “got cooked all night”, asone postput it
Ramsey and the secondary face mounting pressure to correct errors before the slide deepens. Ramsey’s message was clear: the Steelers can’t rely on calls or excuses; only execution will fix what went wrong in Cincinnati.