The days of Antonio Brown wreaking havoc on cornerbacks in Pittsburgh is over. Instead, after Brown's departure from the Steel City, his former sidekick, JuJu Smith-Schuster, is now the No. 1 wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Heading into his matchup with Smith-Schuster, Los Angeles Rams cornerback proclaims one grand thing: He isn't Antonio Brown.
“No disrespect to him, he’s not Antonio Brown,” Ramsey said on Friday, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. “I matched up with Antonio for two years there, and that was a good battle. I held my own in those battles. Now, I’m going against a different person, a different body type, a different receiver a little bit. He can make plays. But I’m playing my game. I’m not really worried about it.”
Though Ramsey may not be as afraid of Smith-Schuster as he was when preparing for Brown, he won't discredit the third-year wideout's skill set. Smith-Schuster can make plays.
“He plays very physical, he plays strong, aggressive through the catch,” said Ramsey.
Smith-Schuster, despite elevating to the No. 1 role, has not enjoyed the statistical year most expected out of him. On the season, he has 33 catches for 459 yards and three touchdowns. His half-seasons stat line converts to 66 receptions for 918 yards and six touchdowns — a far cry from his Pro-Bowl 2018 campaign.
Despite Smith-Schuster's lack of numbers in 2019, he does command the attention of defenses. He has been subject to an uptick on double coverage throughout the season, something he did not receive playing alongside Brown.
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