Jeffery Simmons says Titans can ‘dominate’ Chiefs’ O line; Brown, Smith wouldn’t take the bait

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons proved he might be a bit off on Thursday.

About five weeks after Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrett mocked the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line ahead of their Week 4 game, Simmons made the snappy comments when speaking to SiriusXM Radio.

“I mostly know our first four, when we go out there…I watch the tape,” Simmons began, according to NFL.com. “So I look at the offensive linemen that we have to play against, and I’m very confident that we can go out there and dominate them… Like I said, they know us, we know them. I look forward to the game up front. Anybody. [Joe] Thuney or Trey Smith at the guardhouse. But I’m very confident that our defense will go out there and have a great day.

To be fair, he also complimented the Chiefs during the same interview.

“They have a good team. We know them. They know us,” Simmons said. It’s the same with them. They still got Mahomes, they still got Travis Kelce. They really want to get Travis Kelce the ball, and I mean, they brought Mahomes back there, who’s a really good player. Man , I live for games like this where no one expects us to go in and get a big win. I’m motivated every game, but games like this just mean a little bit more to me, because I know what kind of team I have, we have here in Tennessee.

In Week 4, Barrett told reporters that he didn’t see much difference between the Chiefs’ current offensive line and that of Super Bowl LV (yes, that offensive line), adding that he felt his Bucs defense could “impose their will” and host a “coming out party”. It allowed the Chiefs’ O line to play arguably their best game of the season with a 41-31 victory.

Asked about Simmons’ comments about the Chiefs’ O-line room, Brown sounded like he did weeks ago when Barrett had something to say.

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

“It’s just an understanding that it’s football,” Simmons said. “Everyone has their own element, parts of their game that they need to motivate themselves and all these different things. As a unit, we take great pride in doing our jobs and doing what we need to do as as a unit and as individuals. When people make comments like that, they are heard, and we understand. Football is a competitive sport, but at the end of the day, we understand that we have to take care of business when the lights come on.

Like Brown, Smith ignored the comments — even after learning the second-team All-Pro defensive tackle had mentioned him by name.

“At the end of the day, we’re just going to do our job, play all the tries and keep playing,” Smith said, “pretty much just staying focused on the game plan, man. We’re not really worried about the outside comments. [We’re] focused on getting the job done.

In two regular season games against the Chiefs, Simmons racked up four tackles as the Titans won games in 2019 and 2021. Playing as a rookie, Simmons was left off the stat sheet despite making 26 defensive snaps in the championship AFC 2019.

He’ll come to Arrowhead having recorded a sack in each of his last three games – but the Chiefs’ offensive line has shown a gradual upward trajectory since what it would even consider an embarrassing Week 3 loss to the Colts. Indianapolis, who have since changed starting. quarterbacks.

“The Colts game, I would say, at the moment was our bottom line, and we know we didn’t play that game well,” Brown added. “I feel like since then, man, it’s been a gradual climb, consistently every day in training, every week, every game. Better and better overall. I could say the same for me, which is one of the reasons I say this. You could say the same for everyone in the room. Really, week after week, keep focusing on your craft, focus on improving the system, and really rise to the challenge.

Brown explained that’s what the Chiefs will focus on rather than any “bulletin board material.”

“Once you’re kind of on the pitch, the lights are on, the doors are locked,” he concluded. “It’s man to man. You are face to face in that moment – ​​and what happens, happens.