Jaguars Jalen Ramsey ready to face DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey said he is ready to face DeAndre Hopkins on Sunday in Houston.

It sounds like one of those made for television commercials. The kind that will top Odell Beckham and Eli Manning during the Super Bowl. I’m talking about the connection between Jaguars defensive back Jalen Ramsey and Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Their relationship is like no other. The respect the two have for each other is genuine. As someone told me today, it’s as magical as any in sports today. Two players, considered among the best at what they do on a football field, having mutual admiration for one another.

And it’s the kind of matchup we could see for the next decade and it would still be amongst the best one-on-one battles in the NFL.

"“He’s my favorite corner to play against. He’s the only corner in the NFL that actually follows me everywhere I go. So, you’ve got to respect that,” Hopkins told Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston. “No matter where I line up he’s right there in front of me. A lot of guys claim they’re No. 1 DBs, but not a lot of guys do that.”"

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The Jaguars are going to need a lot of that coverage on Sunday as the defense has been hit by the injury bug. Yannick Ngakoue is out with a hamstring injury, which severely hampers the pass rush. A.J. Bouye, Ramsey’s tag team partner at cornerback, is unlikely to get the nod for the first road trip of the season.

"“Probably doubtful,” head coach Doug Marrone said on Friday. “We’ll just be ready to go (with a backup). We’re planning on him probably not playing. I’m sure he’s going to give it everything he has to try to be healthy.”"

If Bouye cannot go, Tre Herndon will fill in on the backline, eager to get another chance to prove himself as a potential starter.

The admiration for one another spilled over into Ramsey’s time with the local media this week as well, as he spoke highly of his opponent at the podium.

"“I feel like he’s a complete receiver, he can do a lot. He’s, of course, Deshaun’s [Watson] favorite target, so he gets a lot of targets per game,” Ramsey said.“He makes the most of his targets that he gets usually. He usually never drops passes ever, it doesn’t matter if he’s guarded. That’s probably one of the toughest things defending him. There’s been times in the past where I’ve had him guarded, like white on rice, and he’s still made an amazing catch, or a one-handed catch or a spectacular catch. You see those from him all the time because he makes difficult catches even if he is covered, double covered, whatever the case may be.”"