Jalen Ramsey shut down DK Metcalf, but he deflected praise after the win

DK Metcalf came into Week 10 as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, catching 43 passes for 788 yards and eight touchdowns in the first eight games of the season. He had at least 92 yards in every game except one, but that changed on Sunday.

Jalen Ramsey and the Rams as a whole completely shut down Metcalf in their 23-16 win. Metcalf was held to two catches for 28 yards, both of which came against zone coverage. He was targeted just four times, with his first target of the afternoon coming with less than a minute to play in the third quarter.

It was as good a job as anyone has done against the talented second-year receiver this season, all but eliminating him from the Seahawks’ game plan and forcing Russell Wilson to go elsewhere with the ball.

Much was made about the matchup between Ramsey and Metcalf coming into this game, driving up anticipation and excitement. After the win, Ramsey made sure to give credit to his teammates, saying “I really don’t want to make it about me and that matchup today.”

Ramsey told reporters after the game that he “played a lot of man against him and I felt like my coverage was really good,” while also noting that both of Metcalf’s catches were against zone.

“Obviously that was the matchup that a lot of people were talking about. I tried to downplay it during the week,” he told Steve Wyche of NFL Network. “I didn’t want to give nothing away, but I followed him a good bit of the game. I think he’s an undeniable talent, I told him after the game that I look forward to these matchups for years and years to come. … But I didn’t want to just make it about us. I knew I was going to hold down what I had to hold down, but honestly, look at the other guys in the secondary. They held it down, as well.”

Ramsey mentioned a few times that it was a complete team effort, with Darious Williams and the entire secondary playing well. He specifically highlighted Williams’ play, coming down with two interceptions and breaking up a few other passes. Ramsey wants to get the conversation started about Williams being a name that everyone in the NFL knows.

“I think it’s time to start talking about D-Will as a household name in this league,” Ramsey said, before adding that he “can potentially be an All-Pro.”

With Ramsey on one side and Williams on the other, it’ll be hard for even the best quarterbacks to move the ball against the Rams – just as we saw with Russell Wilson on Sunday.