The Miami Dolphins understood that to slow down Patrick Mahomes on Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany, they will need to isolate his favourite target, Travis Kelce.
As Jalen Ramsey gets read for his second match of the season after a preseason knee operation, releasing the star cornerback on Kansas City Chiefs’ top pass-catcher is one option. But Friday, Ramsey did not allow any plans slip.
“We’ll see,” Ramsey told reporters from Germany when asked if he might cover Kelce, per the Miami Herald.
Few people have managed to slow the dynamic tight end, who can defeat linebackers and safeties with precise route running, subdue corners and find gaps in zone defenses. The connection between Kelce and Mahomes makes the duo almost impossible to stop.
“He lines up all over the place, so occasionally that could happen with him and Jalen,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said on Thursday of the corner covering Kelce. “He’s tough, he’s a great tight end. He runs really good routes. Him and the quarterback have great karma together, especially as plays extend. He’s tough to stop totally there. He’s caught over 100 balls, how many years in a row? So, really, nobody’s figured that out.”
Kelce leads other tight ends in receptions (54) and receiving yards (583) in 2023. Among all players, he is tied for eighth position in catches and 11th in receiving yards despite missing Week 1 because of a knee injury.
Whether Fangio decides to deploy Ramsey on Kelce a lot or little on Sunday or not, he revealed that the Dolphins plan to move the corner around in upcoming contests.
“Yeah, I think at some point, possibly this game, but at some point we’ll start moving him around,” Fangio said on Thursday. “I think it’s important that he gets his legs underneath him and feels comfortable out there.”
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