Jalen Ramsey insists there’s no bad blood between him and DeAndre Hopkins
Jalen Ramsey and DeAndre Hopkins were fun to watch last season.
Even though 2016 was the first season in which Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins were able to face off, it was a heck of a battle.
During their first meeting Hopkins only hauled in five catches for 48 yards on 13 targets with Ramsey matched up against him as the Texans came away with a 24-21 win on the road.
"“I respect his game,” Ramsey said. “He knows that. He respects my game as well. You’ve got bring some fire. You’ve got to bring some rivalry in to it.”"
Hopkins had a much better game the second time around at NRG Stadium as he caught eight passes for 87 yards, but wasn’t able to get into the end zone. The good news though is that the Texans once again ended up in the win column.
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After former Texans’ cornerback A.J. Bouye signed with the Jaguars last month, Hopkins joked that he better cover him on third downs next season.
"“I told A.J. if he goes to [Jacksonville] then he better be the dude guarding me on third down instead of Jalen [Ramsey] because he couldn’t get the job done,” Hopkins told CBS Houston 650 AM. “I love A.J., but hopefully he’s the one guarding me on third down to win the game next year for those guys. They might have a better chance.”"
Ramsey was very entertained by Hopkins’ comments.
Been on flights all day... is a response to nonsense really needed? 😂😂😂 I told y'all I just chill 😬
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) March 11, 2017
"“It was purely entertainment for me,” Ramsey said. “Everybody watched the games so it was entertaining. We’ve got a mutual respect for each other.“… You’ve got to bring some rivalry in to it. Everybody’s always talking about how our [division] is weak. We’re trying to bring some fire to it. If that’s what we have to do then that’s what we have to do, and I know when we play them we’re going to go at it. Whether it’s me guarding him or A.J., we’re going to go at it.”"
Ramsey had a very good season for a rookie. People don’t realize how difficult it is for first-year corners to succeed in the NFL. He ended up with an overall grade of 82.3 from Pro Football Focus.
Hopkins on the other hand had a solid season in 2016 mostly due to the fact that Texans’ quarterback Brock Osweiler struggled mightily.
It’s going to be interesting to see how Hopkins and Ramsey do against one another next season, if in fact the Jags decide not to match up Bouye on Hopkins.