Simmons' Way: Go All Out, All The Time
NASHVILLE – Jeffery Simmons views his job in relatively simple terms. Go all out all out all the time.
Just don’t look for the Tennessee Titans’ second-year defensive lineman to take himself out of the game.
“That’s my job,” defensive line coach Terrell Williams said. “Guys like him – because he never wants to come out – he’s going so hard he can’t even realize he’s tired. So, my job is to give him a breather.”
It’s not exactly the most time-consuming of Williams’ duties. Simmons, the 2019 first-round pick, has played in four of the Titans’ first five games (he missed one because he tested positive for COVID-19) and in three of those four he was on the field for at least 80 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. In Week 3 at Minnesota he played 60 out of 65, a career-high 92 percent.
For someone who is 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, fatigue can be a semi-constant, if unwanted companion throughout a football game. For Simmons, it is not even a consideration.
“When I step on the field, I’m going to give it my all no matter what it is,” he said. “If it’s tiredness, limping, cramping, no matter what I’m not making any excuses. You never know when that play is going to come that you can make and change the game.
“My mindset is to attack every game and play with passion. That’s gotten me this far and I’m not going to change anything. Just head down, full steam ahead.”
For years, Jurrell Casey set the standard for effort and energy along the Titans’ defensive line. The five-time Pro Bowler played 80 percent or more of Tennessee’s defensive snaps over an entire season twice, 2014 and 2017. He maxed out at 82 percent in 2013, when he played 15 out of 16 contests.
Through his four appearances this season Simmons has logged 228 out of a possible 270 plays. That is a hefty 84.4 percent.
“He’s worked hard to become a leader of our football team, to know what to do and be able to disrupt the game, and understand how he fits, and he plays extremely hard,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “As good as he feels and where his conditioning level is, that's how we try to play him.”
To be certain, Simmons is not just taking up space when he is on the field. He has stepped into the position Casey played in recent years and has replaced the production that departed when Casey was traded to Denver during the offseason just effectively as he maintained the effort and passion that were so prevalent at that spot.
Even having missed a game, Simmons leads the Titans with two sacks. He also has seven quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery. His 18 tackles are most among Tennessee’s defensive linemen and rank seventh overall. He even has broken up a pass.
Casey had 18 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, 11 quarterback pressures and tackles for loss in his first four games of 2019.
“There’s always room to get better, but at the same time I came into the season with the mindset that I wanted to be dominate,” Simmons said. “I wanted to help this team the best way I can.
“Playing defensive line is not easy, but my mindset coming into this season and into this game of football is that I’m going to give it my all. Every time I step on the field, I want to play with passion. I want to bring the energy to this defense and this team.”
And when it is time to come out, his position coach will let him know.
“It’s just a feel thing, longer drives and just different things that I’m looking for,” Williams said. “Usually you can tell as a coach when guys are starting to get gassed a little bit.
“… It matters a lot when a guy is playing his butt off and giving his team everything he’s got and preparing during the week and understands that he’s not a finished product. So, I think everybody can respect that. I think his teammates respect him, and I know I respect him as a position coach.”
