Jalen Ramsey Seemingly Won't be Allowed to Shadow CeeDee Lamb

Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey expresses disappointment he won't be allowed to shadow Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb

Jalen Ramsey's boredom seems to impacting his mood.

Ramsey has been a cornerback who has shadowed the opposition's best receiver weekly throughout his career, but that hasn't been his role this season with the Miami Dolphins until last week.

That's when the Pro Bowl cornerback shut down Garrett Wilson in Miami's 30-0 victory over the New York Jets, following the Jets' leading receiver wherever he went around the field for most of the first half of last week's win, which was a game where fellow Pro Bowl cornerback Xavien Howard was sidelined by a hip injury.

Wilson was limited to three catches for 29 yards Sunday, and advanced stats had Ramsey targeted only once all game, a throw for Wilson that Ramsey broke up.

But when asked if Miami planned to have him double down on the shadowing duties, trailing CeeDee Lamb in Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, Ramsey seemingly expressed some frustration with what he expects to be a stationary role.

"I don't think that's the game plan. I don't think that's my role in this defense," said Ramsey, who has contributed 12 tackles, three interceptions and five pass breakups in the seven games he's played this season.

Could Lamb slaughter Dolphins?

When pressed on whether he supports the decision not to shadow Lamb, who is second in the NFL in catches with 103 and third in receiving yards with 1,306 while adding eight receiving touchdowns, Ramsey's irritation grew.

"Ya'll know who I am. What's up?" Ramsey said, seconds after initially offering a "next question," to whether he views it as a challenge to defend the best receiver. "You know what I've done throughout my whole career. You know who I am."

Ramsey has allowed only 11 receptions while targeted 27 this season.

His passer rating allowed when targeted, per Pro Football Reference, is a microscopic 20.2, which is best in the NFL by a pretty good margin (Tampa Bay's Dee Delaney is the next-closest DB at 36.5).

Since that stat started being kept in 2018, the best mark is a 24.2 post by former Baltimore safety Earl Thomas in 2019. Among cornerbacks, the best mark before this season was a 34.1 by J.C. Jackson in his first go-around with the New England Patriots also in 2019.

I’m just going to put this here and you can analyze it for yourself.

Let me know what you think. pic.twitter.com/WcI4fuqPl9

— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) December 22, 2023

Fangio isn't a fan of shadowing

Earlier this week defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said it was Howard's absence because of a thigh injury that was the catalyst for Ramsey shadowing Wilson.

"He played real well, you know, he really did," Fangio said of Ramsey. "He got challenged a few times on some tough routes that he answered. Really played a good game. He really did."

Lamb often moves into the slot role for the Cowboys, which means he could have a steady diet of going up against nickel cornerback Kader Kohou.

What could be the motivation behind Ramsey not shadowing Lamb?

Fangio has hinted that shadowing a receiver potentially messes with the integrity of his zone base defense, which presently ranks fifth in the NFL.

Also, Howard has shadowed the opposition's best receiver as well. In fact, he's done it for most of his career. The Dolphins have watched Howard practice for the past two days and he's expected to play.

However, Howard's return doesn't stop Miami from moving Ramsey inside when Lamb moves into the slot, and putting Kohou on the boundary, which is a role he's held often this season, especially in the base defense.

Maybe that's something the Dolphins could lean on in certain instances during the game. 

But that comes down to whether Fangio and his players can reach a compromise.

"Two really good players. Two capable players," Fangio said of the possible Lamb and Ramsey matchup. "CeeDee Lamb is one of the top receivers in the league. Jalen is on the top corners in the league. And it'll be interesting to watch. I wish I had a popcorn and sitting home and watching it."