Jalen Ramsey Fears 'No Man' Ahead Of Gronkowski Clash In Patriots Game

Sunday's game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New England Patriots promises to be a big one, thanks in part to the highly-anticipated matchup between cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The two teams will face off for the first time since their AFC Championship game in January. In that game, Jacksonville's Ramsey restricted Gronkowski to just one catch for 21 yards, though the latter would leave late into the first half due to a concussion.

And in an ESPN The Magazine piece last month, Ramsey had some blunt words for the two-time Super Bowl champion.

"I don't think Gronk's good," Ramsey said. "Let me say — I don't think Gronk is as great as people think he is. Any time Gronk has been matched up with a corner, he's had a very bad game — and that corner has had a very good game."

Gronkowski finally replied to those comments Wednesday, stating even if that's how Ramsey felt about him, it's only helped him draw motivation for Sunday's game.

"For sure. There's always motivation you're looking for," Gronkowski said Wednesday. "It does and it doesn't, so that's tricky right there. ... It motivates you to hear that. Obviously, there's something out there that he saw on film and stuff that I can probably get better at. You don't always feel the best every single day when you're out on the field, so if that's how he feels, that's how he feels."

Jaguars defensive coordinator Todd Wash, meanwhile, recently claimed Thursday anyone who thought Gronkowski was overrated was crazy, however, Ramsey doesn't care.

"Might be crazy. I don't care," Ramsey said, as quoted on ESPN. "... He's good. He's good, now. We ain't going to get it twisted. He's good, but, you saying this to me, is this supposed to bring fear to me or something?"

"I don't fear no man, period. So he's going to have to come out there and line up on me. Or however it goes. He's got to play us this year."

Ramsey is known for his trash talking and that can be expected even more when he faces off with Gronkowski. While he also engages in trash talk with players he likes, the 23-year-old feels it's necessary to play the game fiercely.

"When you play the game of football, I feel like, to respect the game, you have to play it fierce," Ramsey explained. "I don't believe in having friends on the field. I mean, my brother, my dad, my mom, grandma was out there, it's on. After the game we can be cool. It doesn't matter. That's how I feel like you've got to respect the game of football.

"Football is not a game meant to be played being nice to each other and all that, like Kumbaya. But after the game's over with, that's cool."

As for the game itself, Ramsey is ready to do his job, whether he lines up against Gronkowski or not.

"I'm going to go out there and do whatever the coach asks me to do," Ramsey added. "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm very confident in all of my teammates on the defensive side of the ball. Whoever goes against him, I'm very confident they'll hold it down and I'll do my job and I'll hold it down where I'm at."

While their AFC Championship game in January took place in Foxborough, Sunday's game takes place at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.