Tag: Chris Simms

Chris Simms still thinks highly of Browns QB Deshaun Watson

As Chris Simms counts down to number one of his quarterback rankings he has the #Browns passer in the top 10 of his list.

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NBC Sports NFL analyst Chris Simms has begun his annual top 40 quarterback rankings as training camp draws closer. Some are unsure where to rank Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson after the struggles he had in the final six games returning from suspension last season. Simms believes that his struggles were from rust and not diminished skills and that he will bounce back.

The Browns should be inclined to believe that Simms is correct, and after a full offseason without a looming suspension, Cleveland is hopeful that Watson will make them legitimate contenders. He has already shown off some impressive throws in OTAs, and with a mandatory minicamp coming up soon in Berea, it seems that the talented signal-caller is on the rise.

If the Browns want to compete seriously for a title in 2023, they will need Watson to prove Simms correct and play at a superstar-caliber level over the course of Cleveland’s grueling 17-game schedule.

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Chris Simms ranks Russell Wilson as 14th-best QB in the NFL

Chris Simms believes Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will have a bounce-back season in 2023.

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As a former Denver Broncos quarterback, perhaps Chris Simms has a soft spot for current Broncos quarterbacks.

Last month, Simms ranked Denver backup Jarrett Stidham No. 32 in the NFL, making him a starting-caliber quarterback — at least in the opinion of Simms.

More recently, Simms has Broncos starter Russell Wilson ranked No. 14, which is much higher than where most pundits have Wilson ranked following the worst season of his career in 2022.

“I still think he can turn it around,” Simms said of Wilson coming off a poor season.

Simms noted that Denver could not run the ball in 2022, the offensive line struggled to protect the QB and Wilson was learning a new offense under Nathaniel Hackett. Simms seemingly believes that circumstances outside of Wilson’s control were major factors in the QB’s down year.

Wilson completed a career-low 60.5% of his passes in 2022 for 3,524 yards and a career-low 16 touchdown passes. Simms believes the 34-year-old quarterback will have a big bounce-back season in 2023. Broncos fans can only hope he’s right.

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Giants’ Daniel Jones ranks highly in Chris Simms’ top 40 QB countdown

New York Giants QB Daniel Jones nearly cracked the top 10 in Chris Simms’ Top 40 QB Countdown and drew incredibly high praise.

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In 2020, New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was ranked 26th overall in Chris Simms’ top 40 QB countdown. A year ago, he climbed slightly to No. 21.

After an impressive 2022 campaign in which he led the Giants to their first playoff victory since Super Bowl XLVI, Jones made major strides on Simms’ list. This time, he just missed cracking the top 10 and ranked 11th overall.

“He made more with less as much as anybody in football,” Simms said on Chris Simms Unbuttoned. “Go back and watch. I mean, he’s got games where you go 10-12 plays in a row and nobody’s open and he’s still getting completions or still getting positive yards. He’s a high-level thrower of the football.

“He hits the bullseye a lot on tight-window throws.”

Simms said there were countless instances last year where he expected Jones to throw an interception or pick-6 because he was forced to hit a dime (no pun intended) 15 or 20 yards down the field. And every time, Jones put the ball exactly where it had to be.

“There’s so much of that,” Simms said of Jones’ accuracy. “Or there are just the plays where I go, ‘nobody is open.’ Okay, he runs and gets a first down. Or the right guard gets run over and he had 0.4 seconds to look downfield and he runs around the edge and gets 15.”

Ultimately, Simms says, the Giants aren’t able to win nine games or reach the playoffs last year without DJ.

“They could not have won and played the way they did without Daniel Jones’ skillset last year,” Simms said. “His running is in the upper echelon of football.”

Simms recognizes many aren’t going to agree with his assessment of Jones, but he chalks that up to box score reading.

“Don’t just look at the stats and stuff,” Simms said. “The context matters. When you dive in and start to watch it, you start to go, ‘oh man, there’s not much to be had in any game.’ And he maximizes it.”

Simms specifically broke down several of Jones’ performances where he finished the game with around 165 yards and was criticized for not doing more. A deeper look at those games left Simms amazed that Jones was even able to accomplish that much.

“He got 165? He probably should have gotten 125. He made some unbelievable plays and throws that were unreal,” Simms said. “That’s where I think people are missing it.”

Finally, Simms credited Jones for his improved pocket presence and footwork, arguing that those strides moved him closer to the top tier of quarterbacks in the NFL.

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Pro Football Talk: ‘Commanders is the right move for Bieniemy’

PFT explains why the Commanders were the right move for Bieniemy.

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“He’s very hard on us and he sets a high standard as you guys can probably tell,” said new Commanders quarterback Sam Howell about his new offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy.

“That’s what we want, we want to be coached hard and we want to play for someone who has a high standard. It’s been really good. Obviously, its a really good system and I think it will be a good way for us to use the weapons that we have. I am excited,” said Howell.

Thursday, Pro Football Talk hosts Mike Florio and Chris Simms both expressed their belief in the hire of Bieniemy for the Commanders and as a future head coach in the NFL.

Florio said for Bieniemy it was a case of, “My ship is never going to come in, in Kansas City. It’s just not going to happen. I’ve got to go somewhere else where people will at least perceive I have more responsibility in the offense. He’s changing the construct enough to maybe get people to notice ‘I could be a pretty good coach.’ So maybe it will happen for him after a year or two in Washington.”

Simms affirmed Florio’s view, “You heard what Howell said; it’s cut-throat; the guy is in your face. He handled some personalities in Kansas City and did a great job. ”

“I am kind of excited about what the Commanders can be on offense. I am excited to see what Sam Howell can be. He’s got a natural feel for the game. He’s a good down-the-field thrower, Mike. That is definitely one of the positives about him coming out of North Carolina.”

“This might save some jobs (Ron Rivera and his staff). Maybe get Eric Bieniemy a new job, right?”

OPINION: Ranking Mac Jones over Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t make sense

Chris Simms ranks Mac Jones ahead of Tua Tagovailoa, but the stats from 2022 just don’t seem to agree.

With the 2023 NFL regular season getting closer, analysts have begun projecting how teams will perform. Quarterbacks are undeniably the most important players on any given team and are vital to a team’s success. Chris Simms took it upon himself, as he does every year, to rank the top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL heading into the new season.

While he’s only revealing a few players at a time, we’ve hit somewhat of a wall. The most recent ranking was No. 24-20. In it, are Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 21 and New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones at No. 20.

Something about that feels a bit off.

Let’s start with Jones. The Patriots had a poor season in 2022 and made a few moves this offseason, but they don’t seem to be enough to compete with the rest of the AFC East, which many believe to be the strongest division in the NFL.

Through 14 games in 2022, Jones posted 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while completing passes at a 65.2% completion rate and a QB rating of 36.2. A slight regression from an impressive rookie season from the former Alabama star.

Ranking Jones at No. 20 actually does seem appropriate. Jones has the talent and ability to be a better quarterback; but after last season, it’s hard not to rank him right around there. However, having Tagovailoa behind him at No. 21 doesn’t seem to make much sense.

Last season, Tagovailoa only appeared in 13 games, he was sidelined for multiple contests, including the playoff appearance, due to concussions. He played in one less game than Jones and put up significantly higher numbers.

In 2022, Tagovailoa had 3,548 yards (ranked 12th in the NFL), 25 touchdowns (ranked 8th in the NFL), eight interceptions (ranked 12th in the NFL) and a QB rating of 68.8 (ranked 3rd in the NFL).

Many will say that Tagovailoa and the Dolphins have more offensive talent than Jones and the Patriots, which is why one set of stats is higher than the other. Yes, this is true. However, look at what happens when both quarterbacks are removed from their respective starting roles.

The Dolphins went 1-4 in games where Tagovailoa did not start, including the playoff game. There would be more losses if I included games that he started, but did not finish (Bengals game).

However, the Patriots were 2-1 in 2022 when Jones was not on the field and there are rumors that there may be a competition between Jones and his fan-favorite backup, Bailey Zappe. Jones reportedly stated that he would not be afraid of competition.

However, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to Dolphins fans, who likely look forward to these rankings for the sole purpose of entertainment. Before the 2022 season, Simms ranked Tagovailoa No. 34, which had him placed behind multiple backups from teams across the NFL.

Simms also has the 2023 first-overall pick, Bryce Young, ranked No. 38 in this year’s rankings, behind Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud, all of whom are behind the likes of Jarrett Stidham, Andy Dalton, and others.

These annual rankings seem to get many fans frustrated as they look to defend their team’s starting quarterback. It also gets people talking and engaged in debates. Which, at the end of the day, could be the very motive behind the rankings of a lot of these quarterbacks.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to cover Tagovailoa, Jones and other former Alabama stars in the NFL as the 2023 season approaches.

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Chris Simms ranks Broncos backup Jarrett Stidham No. 32 among NFL QBs

Chris Simms has Broncos backup Jarrett Stidham ranked among his starting-caliber quarterbacks in his 2023 rankings.

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Each offseason, Chris Simms of NBC Sports ranks his top 40 quarterbacks in the NFL.

This year, Simms has a backup Denver Broncos quarterback ranked in the starter range with Jarrett Stidham listed at No. 32 overall. Granted, that would make him the “worst” of 32 potential starters, but a starter nonetheless.

The list of QBs that Stidham is ranked above includes top rookies Bryce Young (No. 38), CJ Stroud (No. 37) and Anthony Richardson (No. 36) and second-year QB Desmond Ridder (No. 40).

Broncos coach Sean Payton seems to agree with Simms’ assessment that Stidham has starting-caliber potential.

“I think he’s a No. 2 whose arrow is moving in a direction where we feel like he can become an NFL starter in our league,” Payton said of Stidham earlier this offseason.

Stidham is set to serve as Denver’s primary backup quarterback this season behind Russell Wilson after signing a two-year deal in March. Wilson missed two games with injuries last season and Stidham started two games for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get on the field at some point this season.

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Panthers rookie Bryce Young 38th in Chris Simms’ annual QB rankings

Panthers rookie Bryce Young sits at No. 38 in Chris Simms’ annual QB rankings—behind C.J. Stroud (37th), Anthony Richardson (36th) and teammate Andy Dalton (TBA).

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Is it too early to put last month’s No. 1 overall selection into a set of league-wide quarterback rankings? Not for Chris Simms.

The former NFL passer and current NBC Sports analyst kicked off his annual top-40 list on Monday’s episode of Chris Simms Unbuttoned. He begins his rankings with quarterbacks 40 through 36, where he has Carolina Panthers rookie Bryce Young at No. 38—ahead of Atlanta’s Desmond Ridder and Washington’s Sam Howell.

“Bryce Young, like we’ve talked about, natural with the game,” he said. “Now, I know people are gonna go, ‘Well, wait. He hasn’t played in the NFL so how can he be better than Sam Howell or Desmond Ridder?’ And I wanna go, ‘Well, there’s a reason the guy’s the No. 1 pick.'”

Simms would later name a few of those reasons.

“I’m excited to see Bryce Young,” he added. “Hey, he’s slick, he’s a natural at the position. He’s got a lot of different releases, he’s extremely smart—pre-snap or post-snap, whatever you want there. And, yeah, I just think it’s a matter of time. He’s gonna have to fail in a pretty big way for him not to be the starter in the preseason.”

For Young to become the starter, he must surpass veteran Andy Dalton—who, according to general manager Scott Fitterer—is considered the starter “right now.” Dalton is also ahead of his new teammate in Simms’ rankings.

Simms, additionally, has Young looking up at fellow 2023 draftees C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson—who were taken with the second and fourth overall picks, respectively. Stroud sits at 37th while Richardson, who was actually behind Young in Simms’ prospect rankings, is 36th.

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NFL Analyst ranked Commanders safety best in 2023 class

More praise for Jartavius Martin.

Prior to the 2023 NFL draft, Pro Football Talk’s Chris Simms was breaking down the rookie class’s top safeties.

Commanders fans will be glad to know that days prior to the Commanders making their selections, Simms ranked Jartavius “Quan” Martin as his top safety in this year’s rookie class.

Here are some of the comments provided by Simms from his video breakdown of Martin last season playing for Illinois.

“He has very good coverage skills, I mean amazing coverage skills. The only thing he is missing to be in the top of my corner conversation is top-end speed.”

“He doesn’t have that sixth gear that fast corners do. But he is super short-area fast and explosive. His 10 yards is 1.47, so that tells you how he can come out of a break.”

“So, for a safety, he has elite cover skills. Also, I’m not sure he’s not an awesome, awesome nickel slot.”

“Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is who I kind of compared him to. Yes, he can as a safety get down here and cover slot receivers and d _ _ _ if they run a toss sweep or edge run, he will go in and throw his body around like psycho, and that is what he does. So that is where I loved him.”

The Commanders chose Martin in the second round with the 47th overall selection. One only defensive back who could play safety in the NFL was taken ahead of Martin. The Lions chose nickel back/safety Brian Branch out of Alabama two selections ahead of Martin when Detroit was picking at 45th overall.

What are the Commanders biggest needs entering the 2023 NFL draft?

There’s no doubt, offensive line still tops the list.

Pro Football Talk Tuesday had a segment asking, “What are the biggest needs for the Washington Commanders entering the 2023 NFL Draft?

Chris Simms: “O-Line is pretty glaring. It’s not the worst, but it certainly needs some help. There’s nobody on their O-Line you can look at and go, ‘Oh yeah, that’s a pretty big-time marquee offensive lineman.’ ”

Simms continued, “I gotta think that has got to be in the running at what, their 16th pick, right?  Corner, you look at that position, and you know, you want more on their roster and tight end.”

“That would be the three that really jump out to me more than any, right? And that’s the decision that could be interesting for them, Mike when I just throw it out there or think about the draft. I’m starting to have to think about my mock draft and all that.”

“Washington could be that team where pick 16. Do they take one of the good tackles on the board? Or does that tight end from Utah, Dalton Kincaid, who I think is very special, if he is there on the board, what would they do?”

“Could be interesting, but I think O-Line for sure has to be addressed somewhere in that top half of the draft.”

Mike Florio, who usually leads the conversation, sat silently for the most part, permitting Simms to almost entirely handle the Commanders’ question of their biggest need in the draft.

When speaking very briefly at the end of the segment, Florio offered, “Absolutely, O-Line. If they are all-in with the Sam Howell experiment, get the most out of the young quarterback and put other help around him.”

“Make the offensive line better any way you can, so Howell can reach his ceiling, whatever it may be.”

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Where Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud lands on Chris Simms top draft quarterbacks

How would you rank this current crop of quarterbacks #GoBucks

The [autotag]NFL Draft[/autotag] is almost here and plenty of analysts are trying to decide where [autotag]Ohio State[/autotag]’s [autotag]C.J. Stroud[/autotag], Alabama’s [autotag]Bryce Young[/autotag] and the rest of the quarterbacks are expected to get selected.

Former Texas star quarterback [autotag]Chris Simms[/autotag] has put his top six out there and he also rated them by tiers. Although his NFL career wasn’t as successful as his collegiate one, Simms still knows what a high level quarterback should look like.

Find out below where Simms ranks each of his top six quarterbacks along with what tier they are in prior to being selected in the NFL Draft.