Winner No. 4 – Jeffery Simmons
After a big debut against the Los Angeles Chargers in October, the rookie out of Mississippi State has continued to make plays for the defense, but noticeably was shut out in the sack column since.
That changed on Sunday, as he was able to drag down Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on the first drive of the third quarter, forcing the Raiders to punt for just the second time in the game.
Simmons added five total tackles (two for a loss) and a quarterback hit, and was once again a force against the run.
Because he doesn’t fill out the stat sheet the way other defensive players do, as well as the fact that he missed much of the season recovering from an ACL tear, Simmons won’t make enough waves to merit Defensive Rookie of the Year talk, but since he’s played, he’s been an absolute force on the defensive line.