Ja’Marr Chase up to another Steelers challenge
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey had his worst game of the season when the Steelers lost to Cincinnati, 33-31, on Thursday Night Football last month. Ramsey received a coverage grade of 37.0 from Pro Football Focus on a night in which he allowed five receptions on nine targets for 62 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase had one of his best games of the year, recording 16 catches for 161 yards and one touchdown, in which he beat Ramsey pretty convincingly.
Since then, the Steelers have made changes to their secondary. In the past two games, Ramsey, who started the first seven games of the season at slot cornerback, has been playing most of his snaps at safety, and Pittsburgh has won one of those games.
“He’s just really showing how versatile he is as a person, as a DB,” Chase said at his Friday press conference. “I think he only moved to safety because it was a change on the back end. I’m not really sure 100% what’s going on, how they’re doing that, but he’s just showing off how versatile he is.”
The Bengals enter Pittsburgh with a 3-6 record, while the Steelers lead the AFC North with a 5-4 record. A win by Cincinnati will pull the Bengals to within a game of the division lead, while a loss will drop them three games back.
“It’s a must-win if you want to win the AFC (North),” Chase said.
Only one time since the AFC North Division was formed in 2002 has the eventual champion not been within one game of first place by Week 11. That happened when Baltimore came back from 2.5 games out in 2018.
A Bengals win would give Cincinnati a 3-0 record in the division, with a season-opening win over Cleveland and a sweep of the Steelers. The only other times the Bengals started 3-0 were in 2009 and 2015, and they won the division each time.
Whatever happens on Sunday, Chase is liable to play a big part in the outcome. Ramsey probably won’t be the main cover man this week, with those duties likely falling to Joey Porter, Jr. – not that it matters to Chase.
“I like any matchup with me,” Chase said. “It don’t really matter. I love the game. I love competing.”
Chase currently leads the NFL with 76 catches and is second in yardage with 831 yards. His five touchdowns are tied for fourth-best in the league.
Why Oregon's Dante Moore is Perfect QB Prospect for Saints in 2026 NFL Draft
Although the New Orleans Saints already have a pair of interesting young quarterbacks in the locker room who couldbecome long-term answers, neither Spencer Rattler nor Tyler Shough has truly proven he’s a bona fide franchise cornerstone. As such, when the Saints use their first-round pick — currently projected to land inside the top five of the 2026 NFL Draft — quarterback should absolutely be on the table.
And while this upcoming draft class features several high-end prospects, the player who fits New Orleans’ system the best, and is arguably the perfect match for what the franchise is trying to build, is Oregon’s Dante Moore.
The 6-foot-3 quarterback began his college career at UCLA before transferring to Oregon, where he has now spent two seasons. This year has finally been his chance to take full control of the offense, blossom within a more stable structure and establish himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. The size is already ideal, and with a little more strength added to his frame, he projects as an NFL-durable passer. But what really makes Moore special is his accuracy, his poise, and the way he performs under pressure.
NFL teams often get enamored with prospects who can wow you with a huge arm, elite speed, or off-script highlight plays. But once a quarterback reaches the NFL, it becomes all about decision-making against the best athletes in the world, and that’s the one trait you can’t teach. Moore already has that natural calm, that big-game presence, and that ability to make the right throw in the biggest moments.
Drafting a franchise quarterback is about more than filling a hole. It’s about selecting a player, bringing him into your building and then building the roster around what he does best. Moore already checks the foundational boxes: size, accuracy, pocket presence, touch, mobility when necessary, natural feel and the production to back it up. Add in the fact that he was one of the most coveted recruits in the country coming out of high school, and it becomes even clearer why his pedigree matters — he’s been viewed as “that guy” for years.
He’s also stylistically different from the two quarterbacks New Orleans currently has. And if, by the end of this season, there isn’t overwhelming conviction that either Rattler or Shough is the clear franchise leader moving forward, Moore becomes the best, and cleanest, path to a reset at the most important position in the sport.
For a team looking for long-term stability and a player who fits exactly what the Saints want to be offensively, Dante Moore is the right pick at the right time.
