Jeffery Simmons Makes Life Easy

Nothing sticks out quite like an All-Pro defensive lineman suddenly landing on a good team. For most football fans, Jeffery Simmons has been one of the league's best defensive tackles by reputation only. A run of playoff appearances to start his career in Tennessee gave way to a handful of lost seasons, in which he continued to anchor the Titans' defensive front while the losses piled up around him. Last night, however, we got to remember what it's like to see Simmons play in a game that matters. The Bears traded for Simmons last Thursday, which didn't leave him much time to integrate with the team ahead of a Monday night showdown against the Seahawks. "My first day in, I was in the building until dang near 10:00 at night, trying to get the playbook," he told the ESPN broadcast after the game. No matter. As J.J. Watt pointed out, it doesn't take long for a defensive lineman to get up to speed. One has the same job in Chicago as he does in Tennessee: Shove the big guy in front of you out of the way and go tackle the guy with the ball. Simmons did plenty of shoving during the Bears' 34-17 win, and in the process may have proven that the Bears now have a whole new way to win football games. Simmons got his first sack as a Bear on the Seahawks' fourth play of the game, ghosting right past his blocker and dragging Sam Darnold down with one arm. He would finish the game with six tackles (two for a loss), a sack, and a pass deflection.

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