Just because Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is calmer four days later doesn’t mean he’s backpedaling.
Simmons made news after Tennessee’s 16-13 loss against the Houston Texans on Nov. 16 for his promise to stop sugarcoating the Titans’ struggles and a 1-9 record. Sick of losing and letting his emotions show, Simmons called out teammates for committing penalties, struggling in protection and making the kinds of mistakes that led to the Titans “beating themselves” in a game Simmons thought Tennessee should’ve won.
“Everybody knows when I speak, when I play, especially on Sundays, I speak with passion,” Simmons told reporters on Nov. 20. “It’s not just coming from a place where I’m like ‘Eff you, eff you.’ It’s a challenge. It’s Sunday. We’re on the same team. I’m not here to attack you. I want to win, and I’m sure everybody else wants to win.”
Simmons doesn’t like that his comments were perceived by some as a sign of division between the offense and the defense. In fairness, the issues Simmons pointed out after the Texans game were pointed toward an offense that false started five times and wasn’t able to find the end zone until the game’s final drive despite the defense playing one of its better games of the season.
The way Simmons sees it, those criticisms weren’t as targeted as they seemed.
“We’re all in this together,” Simmons said. “We all want to go out there and win the football game. It’s not just one individual that me and every other leader is talking about. We’re talking about and trying to hold everyone to a high standard.”
Simmons says the response to his comments has been broadly positive, and the Titans have gotten off to a good week of practice since. To Simmons, leadership means knowing sometimes he has to say things that some people won’t like. But he also knows there’s no sense in festering; he feels players have moved on from the frustration and on to the next task.
The Titans host the Seattle Seahawks (7-3) at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 23 (noon CT, FOX). The Titans are nearly two-touchdown underdogs, haven’t won a home game in more than a calendar year and don’t expect the Seahawks to offer any sympathy about either topic.
“I’m not going to change,” Simmons said. “I’m going to continue to play with that passion. I hold myself to a high standard. That’s the reason why I hold my teammates to a high standard. At the end of the day, I just want to win.”
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.