Bills Central

Bills CB Ja'Marcus Ingram on breakout outing: ‘I don’t even have words to describe’

Buffalo Bills cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram spoke about his two-interception performance in the team's Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Kyle Silagyi

Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
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The Buffalo Bills are not unique in embracing a “next-man-up” mentality, as the mindset is not a luxury, but a necessity; injuries happen in the game of football, and teams need depth players to step up and meaningfully contribute should their number be called.

Cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram did just that in Buffalo’s Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins. He played on just 30% of the team’s defensive snaps, but he made his presence felt when deployed, tallying two interceptions in the dominant 31-10 win. His first pick came on the first series of the game, a textbook tip drill that the third-year defensive back played perfectly. His next came in the third quarter when an attempted Tua Tagovailoa throwaway landed exquisitely into his hands along the sideline, returning the interception 31 yards to the house to put the game out of reach.

It was a breakout performance for the 27-year-old, who only saw a fair number of defensive snaps due to All-Pro nickel defender Taron Johnson’s forearm injury. It’s one that he had difficulty contextualizing while speaking to reporters after the win.

“It’s a feeling that I don’t even have words to describe,” Ingram said during his post-game press conference.

What makes Ingram’s strong outing a bit more endearing is his story, as it would perhaps be an understatement to describe his road to the Bills’ 53-man roster as ‘winding.’ Unrecruited out of high school, the cornerback was forced to walk on at Utah State, playing 37 games for the Aggies over two seasons before transferring to Texas Tech and, ultimately, the University at Buffalo. Few prognosticators thought highly of the lanky 6-foot-2 defensive back as a prospect, prompting him to go unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft; he didn’t join the Bills immediately after the draft, only signing with the team after making an impression on the brass as a rookie minicamp invitee.

Related: Bills DE Von Miller ascends NFL record book with sack vs. Dolphins

He appeared in just five games over his first two seasons at One Bills Drive, primarily occupying a spot on the practice squad while not necessarily shining when given his scant regular season opportunities. He consistently impressed Buffalo’s coaching staff with his work ethic and dedication to his craft, however, allowing him to earn a spot on the team’s initial 53-man roster of the 2024 season.

And that’s the only opportunity he needed, as he’s consistently made plays to kick off the campaign. This started in the team’s Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals when he made a game-saving pass breakout to secure the victory, his nose for the ball flashing again in his two-pick performance against Miami. He attributes his breakout to his psyche; he’s long prepared as though he’ll have the chance to make plays on game day, something that’s paying off now that he’s being afforded opportunities.

Ja'Marcus Ingram
Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

“It’s a blessing to be in this position,” Ingram said. “I would say really just my mindset, every week and every day coming in and preparing and telling myself that I’ll be in position to make plays, I’ll be in position to make that play whenever that play comes, I just always tell myself that.”

Ingram, again, has seen defensive snaps primarily due to Johnson’s absence; Buffalo did not place its stalwart slot defender on injured reserve on Thursday, indicating that it believes he’ll be available sooner rather than later. Johnson’s return could prompt Ingram’s defensive snaps to again decrease, but the local product could continue to earn opportunities by making additional plays; he’ll continue to prepare as though the chances will keep coming, as that psyche has worked well thus far.

“It’s a lot, especially getting told that I might not be up,” Ingram said. “My mindset is preparing like I’m going to play. Preparing like I’m a starter no matter what, but it’s still things that I feel, and it’s a lot to be able to step up in those moments, and the fact that they have faith in me to be able to do that, it’s just a blessing to be a part of this organization that I can step up in those moments and make plays.”

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Kyle Silagyi

KYLE SILAGYI

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