Star performers from Tennessee Titans win over Denver Broncos

Jeffery Simmons

Big Jeff is here! And boy, is he scary.

The Titans’ first-round of 2019 played up to his draft status on Monday night, and maybe even a little bit more. While his numbers won’t catch many eyes at the end of the day, watching his performance back in film study will prove to be kind to Jeffery Simmons– particularly on two big sequences.

The first big moment for Big Jeff came early in the second quarter, with the Titans down 7-0 and the Broncos looking to extend their lead. Denver’s quarterback Drew Lock threw a quick screen to Melvin Gordon, who fumbled the ball on a solid tackle from Kevin Byard (who also had a good game). Simmons showed off some great alertness on the play, tracking the ball on the ground and getting down on it fast, before a host of swarming Broncos players could get anywhere near it.

That fumble recovery, and the quick touchdown drive that it set up, proved to be huge in a game where the offense struggled to find the endzone. But just one play later, Simmons would come in even more clutch.

The Titans, still weirdly the kings of stopping opposing offenses on the goalline, showed their mettle once again– shutting down two Denver attempts to reach the endzone from one yard out. Both defensive stands were led by Jeffery Simmons, who became a big part of a group tackle on a Gordon running attempt on third down, and completely stood up the recipient of a Drew Lock shovel pass on fourth down to keep the Broncos out of the endzone.

If it wasn’t already clear, the Titans might have themselves a star in Jeffery Simmons.