Tag: Justin Simmons

Falcons get positive injury news ahead of Week 7 matchup

Falcons safety Justin Simmons expected to play vs. Seahawks, per report

The Atlanta Falcons listed Justin Simmons as questionable for their Week 7 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, but it sounds like the veteran safety will try to play on Sunday. According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Simmons is “expected to go today” despite a sore hamstring.

The 30-year-old sat out of Wednesday’s practice but was limited on Thursday and Friday. Simmons has appeared in all six games for Atlanta this season, recording 23 tackles (10 solo), two passes defended and one interception.

The Falcons are down two linebackers with both Troy Andersen and Lorenzo Carter ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. Carter was placed on the injured reserve list over the weekend due to a concussion.

Atlanta signed defensive back Kevin King to the roster in a corresponding move Saturday. The team also promoted defensive back Natrone Brooks and outside linebacker Demone Harris from the practice squad as standard Week 7 elevations.

As for the Seahawks, they could be without star running back Kenneth Walker, who was downgraded to questionable over the weekend.

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Falcons rule out two defensive starters ahead of Week 7 matchup

The Falcons have ruled out two defensive starters for Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks

The Atlanta Falcons have yet to release their final Week 7 injury report but head coach Raheem Morris ruled out two defensive starters on Friday afternoon. Linebackers Troy Andersen (knee) and Lorenzo Carter (concussion) won’t play in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Andersen won NFC Defensive Player of the Week after the team’s Week 4 win over the New Orleans Saints but was injured in the fourth quarter and hasn’t played since. Carter was initially listed on Wednesday’s injury report with an illness, however, it was later changed to a concussion.

Morris also said that safety Justin Simmons (hamstring) would be questionable for Week 7, per team reporter Amna Subhan.

With Andersen ruled out, the Falcons will look to third-year linebacker Nate Landman to start next to Kaden Elliss. Landman, who returned from the injured reserve list last week, recorded the team’s highest Pro Football Focus grade in last Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers.

Former second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie will likely step in for Carter in Week 7. If Simmons can’t play, Richie Grant would get the start at safety.

The Seahawks have struggled since their 3-0 start to the season, losing three straight games to fall to 3-3. Atlanta has won three straight to improve to 4-2 and 3-0 within the NFC South. Sunday’s game starts at 1 p.m. ET inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

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Falcons provide injury updates on Justin Simmons, Micah Abernathy

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris provides injury updates on Justin Simmons and Micah Abernathy..

After opening the season with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Atlanta Falcons have won four out of five games and three straight. In Week 6, the team overcame a shaky start to pull off a 38-20 win over the Carolina Panthers.

It wasn’t all good for the Falcons, though. The team suffered two notable injuries with safeties Justin Simmons (hamstring) and Micah Abernathy (knee) each going down during Sunday’s win. Head coach Raheem Morris provided some injury updates on Monday afternoon.

Morris said Simmons’ hamstring isn’t a concern going forward but Abernathy could miss “a significant amount of time” due to his knee injury. Atlanta will continue to monitor linebacker Troy Andersen’s status, per team reporter Tori McElhaney.

Simmons signed with the Falcons in August and has thrived playing next to Jessie Bates at safety. Abernathy has mostly filled a depth role this season.  Morris made it sound like Abernathy could be headed to the injured reserve list.

If so, the Falcons would likely re-sign Kevin King to the active roster for some extra defensive back depth. King was released from the roster over the weekend before returning to the practice squad one day later.

Andersen has missed the last two games due to a knee injury. Fortunately, linebacker Nate Landman returned from injured reserve in Week 6 and finished Sunday’s game as the team’s highest-graded player, via Pro Football Focus.

Atlanta also signed defensive lineman Junior Aho to the practice squad and released Kenny Oginni in a corresponding move on Monday.

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Falcons safety wants to make sure teammate isn’t ‘swept under the rug’

Falcons safety Justin Simmons wants to make sure teammate Jessie Bates isn’t being “swept under the rug”

The Atlanta Falcons offense came to life during Thursday night’s 36-30 win over the Tampa Buccaneers, but the defense also deserves credit for making some key stops in the second half. Safety Jessie Bates III forced a Buccaneers fumble to give the Falcons life in the fourth quarter.

While those around the NFL have mostly praised quarterback Kirk Cousins’ 509-yard, four-touchdown performance, Justin Simmons wants to make sure his defensive backfield mate gets the credit he deserves.

“Jessie is playing at [Defensive Player of the Year] level right now,” tweeted Simmons. “Want to make sure what he did on Thursday night isn’t being swept under the rug because of that outstanding ending from Red and the O.”

Simmons and Bates have been as good as advertised this season. Both players have made some big plays despite the defense’s lack of overall pass rush. Without the team’s strong defensive efforts early in the season, there’s no way Atlanta would be sitting at 3-2 and first in the NFC South.

Bates recorded the game-clinching interception in the Falcons’ Week 2 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Thus far in 2024, Bates has recorded 37 tackles (23 solo), one interception, three passes defended and two forced fumbles.

Cousins and the offense received heavy criticism early in the year but the veteran QB has knocked the rust off and is starting to let it fly again. The Falcons have another NFC South game on deck in Week 6 when they face the Carolina Panthers (1-4) on the road next weekend.

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Broncos DB Brandon Jones is PFF’s No. 1 safety this season

Broncos defensive back Brandon Jones is PFF’s highest-graded safety (90.0) through four games this season.

Four games into his career with the Denver Broncos, Brandon Jones is currently graded as the NFL’s best safety by Pro Football Focus.

PFF has given Jones an overall grade of 90.0, with an 87.9 coverage grade. The 26-year-old safety joined Denver after the team released Justin Simmons this spring.

“I’m pleased because there’s a little bit of unknown just not having him and, man, he’s got real good football instincts, savvy, the ball finds him,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked about Jones following the team’s 10-9 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. “He’s doing well.”

Jones is Denver’s first player since 2015 to record at least one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the team’s first four games of a season. The last player to do it was Darian Stewart, a member of the No Fly Zone defense that won Super Bowl 50.

Jones has totaled 24 tackles, two pass breakups and two takeaways through four games with the Broncos. He was an excellent signing this offseason.

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Bucs QB Baker Mayfield recognizes a unique challenge the Falcons present

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first primetime game of the season is on Thursday. The team travels to Atlanta to kick off divisional play.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first primetime game of the season is on Thursday. The team travels to Atlanta to kick off divisional play. The Bucs will be playing their former head coach, Raheem Morris, for the first time since he left the team in 2012.

Twelve years later, the defensive-minded coach has brought a defense for the Falcons that is a unique challenge for the Bucs. Quarterback Baker Mayfield isn’t overlooking that challenge either.

When speaking with Bucs media, Mayfield recognized that the Falcons’ safety duo would be an exciting challenge for him and the offense. The team boasts two of the best safeties in the NFL, Justin Simmons and Jessie Bates. Both men have complementing styles and have proven to be difference-makers for the Falcons’ defense.

Mayfield points out that their veteran status also means they have seen it all, but he has ways to look off their coverages. Seeing how that chess match unfolds for both parties will be interesting.

Chris Olave is officially active for Week 4 vs. Atlanta Falcons

Despite suffering a hamstring injury on Friday, New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is active and will play against the Atlanta Falcons:

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave suffered a hamstring injury on Friday, and Dennis Allen said Olave was day-to-day after practice. The expectation was that Olave would be a game-time decision.

Suffering an injury that late in the week will always put your status in question. When the Saints chose to bring up an offensive lineman from the practice squad instead of a wide receiver, it felt likely Olave would play.

Alongside Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed, Olave makes up nearly the entirety of the Saints passing attack. He’s one of Derek Carr’s favorite targets, so Olave absence would have been greatly felt.

Luckily, the Saints won’t have to find out, because Olave is active and will play in Atlanta. His injury happened late enough in the week to where he was already fully implemented into the game plan. Olave and Shaheed will have a fun matchup against the Falcons’ secondary. Olave will see A.J. Terrell frequently in one of our matchups to watch.

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NFL fines Falcons safety Justin Simmons for hit against Chiefs

The NFL has fined Falcons safety Justin Simmons $22,511 for a hit against the Chiefs…

For the second week in a row, the Atlanta Falcons have been fined by the NFL. This time, it’s safety Justin Simmons receiving a fine of $22,511 for using his helmet during a third-quarter hit against the Kansas City Chiefs (unnecessary roughness), ESPN’s Marc Raimondi reported.

Simmons intercepted Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first half of Sunday’s 22-17 loss. It was Simmons’ sixth career interception of Mahomes, which is the most by any player in the NFL. The veteran safety finished the game with six combined tackles and one pass defended.

Last week, Falcons wide receiver Drake London was fined for his touchdown celebration against the Philadelphia Eagles. London made a gun-like gesture after scoring the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, which is not allowed by the league.

Atlanta will attempt to get back on track in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints. Since both teams are down key offensive linemen, Sunday’s game will likely come down to who wins the battle in the trenches. The Saints ruled out guard Cesar Ruiz while the Falcons will be without right tackle Kaleb McGary.

Atlanta’s pass rush continues to rank near the bottom of the NFL and the team has not been especially good against the run this season. However, the Falcons are slightly favored at home in Week 4.

Check out the team’s updated depth chart, injury report and 53-man roster heading into Sunday’s NFC South showdown.

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Twitter reacts to Justin Simmons picking off Patrick Mahomes yet again

Justin Simmons has six career interceptions against Patrick Mahomes. No other player in the NFL has more than two.

Patrick Mahomes is going to have nightmares about Justin Simmons.

Simmons picked off a Mahomes pass late in the first quarter of a Sunday Night Football showdown between the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3.

That marked the sixth time in his career that Simmons has grabbed an interception off a Mahomes pass. No other player in the NFL has totaled more than two interceptions against Mahomes.

Here’s a sampling of how Twitter/X reacted to Simmons’ latest takeaway:

https://twitter.com/BrandonPerna/status/1838017849685868641

https://twitter.com/ZacStevensDNVR/status/1838017729082572984

https://twitter.com/BrettKollmann/status/1838017547389845698

https://twitter.com/Romi_Bean/status/1838017539789459899

https://twitter.com/PSchrags/status/1838017701018554675

https://twitter.com/bylindsayhjones/status/1838017516917887261

https://twitter.com/SayWhichWay/status/1838017526925566062

Simmons, of course, played for the Denver Broncos from 2016-2023, which gave him an opportunity to play against Mahomes and the Chiefs twice a season.

Denver released Simmons this spring to save salary cap space and the 30-year-old safety ended up signing with Atlanta. Sunday marked his first interception as a Falcon. Simmons now has 31 career interceptions since he entered the NFL as a third-round pick out of Boston College in 2016.

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10 things to watch for when Broncos face Seahawks in Week 1

Bo Nix will make his first NFL start against the Seahawks on Sunday. Here are 10 things to watch for when the Broncos travel to Seattle.

The Denver Broncos are set to go on the road to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season. Going into the weekend, here’s a quick look at ten things to watch for on Sunday.

1. NFL’s new kickoff format: The league has switched to a new XFL-style kickoff format this year and the Broncos believe they will benefit from it. We’ll see if Marvin Mims can take advantage of more opportunities to return.

2. Season-opening roster construction: Denver can elevate two players from the practice squad to the game-day roster each week. It seems like a fairly safe guess that wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey and fullback Michael Burton will be the top candidates to be elevated in Week 1. That could lead to rookie Troy Franklin being a healthy scratch.

3. Luke Wattenberg at center: After losing Lloyd Cushenberry during free agency, the Broncos have replaced him in the starting lineup with Wattenberg. The four other starting linemen are all returning from 2023. Denver will hope Wattenberg is not a weak link as the only new starter.

4. It’s now or never for Greg Dulcich: He’s finally healthy, so can the tight end utilize his speed to make a big impact in Sean Payton’s offense?

5. A lighter Javonte Williams: The running back lost 11 pounds this offseason and Payton has said he looks like “a completely different player.” Sure, that could be coach speak, but Williams is now two years removed from his 2022 knee injury. Perhaps we’ll see a rejuvenated RB in 2024.

6. New-look defensive line: The Broncos signed Malcolm Roach during free agency, then they acquired John Franklin-Myers in a trade with the New York Jets. JFM and Roach joined a d-line rotation that already featured Zach Allen and D.J. Jones. Denver also has Eyioma Uwazurike returning from last year’s gambling suspension, and the team has been impressed with Jordan Jackson. The defensive line could be one of the Broncos’ big strengths in 2024.

7. Cody Barton replacing Josey Jewell: Denver lost Jewell in free agency and replaced him with Barton, who has started 24 games over the last two seasons. Will there be a noticeable difference at ILB?

8. Riley Moss at cornerback: Moss was never able to get going on defense as a rookie after undergoing core muscle surgery last summer. Now healthy entering Year 2, Moss is set to start across from Pat Surtain at cornerback. Let’s see what he can do.

9. Replacing Justin Simmons at safety: After moving on from both Simmons and Caden Sterns this offseason, the Broncos are poised to start free agent addition Brandon Jones and P.J. Locke at safety. There’s obviously going to be a drop-off going from one of the NFL’s best safeties to players with no career accolades, but can Jones and Locke hold their own?

10. Bo Nix makes his NFL debut: Nix is set to become the team’s 14th starting quarterback in the post-Peyton Manning era. Nix will also become Denver’s first rookie quarterback since John Elway to start in Week 1. No pressure, rookie.

After facing the Seahawks, the Broncos will return home to host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. First things first, Seattle’s on deck.

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