The moment arrived for the Chicago Bears as they got their new defensive starter, Jeffery Simmons, to make his highly anticipated debut in Week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks.
Chicago traded three draft picks, including two first-rounders, to land Simmons from the Tennessee Titans. It was a lofty price, but to get a four-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro at a position of need, the Bears had to go after him.
Many questions came up about how much Simmons would play since he'd been on the team for less than a week. Well, he answered that question quickly and had quite the memorable debut for him
Jeffery Simmons makes incredible first impression for the Bears
The Bears couldn't have imagined Simmons would make the impact he did in the first half, but he truly dominated. He made several plays in the half that would have stunned any Chicago fan, especially for a defensive tackle.
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen mostly played Simmons in the middle, but he did move him around. That might have thrown off the Seahawks' offensive line, leading to some big plays.
On the second drive of the game, Simmons recorded his first sack with the Bears, pushing through the Seahawks lineman to take Sam Darnold down. On Chicago's next defensive drive, Simmons read a screen pass perfectly, leading to a six-yard loss.
Simmons dominated the Seahawks in the first half and played well. His final stat line was as incredible as it can get.
Final First Half Stat Line: 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit
A quiet second half for Jeffery Simmons after a dominant start
Once the third quarter began, something changed in Simmons, as the Seahawks seemed to have figured out how to slow him down. Throughout the half, he was no factor and didn't have the same impact as before.
Seattle also changed how they played it, with quicker passes and getting the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba as often as possible. That strategy really took Simmons out of the game.
His one highlight play came late in the fourth quarter where Simmons got a pass deflection on third down. Seattle would not convert on fourth down on the next play, sealing the 34-17 win.
Simmons only needed one tackle in the half to help the Bears out. For Chicago, it's not a big deal since others stepped up in the final 30 minutes.
Final Stat Line: 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 quarterback hit, one pass deflection
Grading Jeffery Simmons' first game as a Bear
Chicago couldn't have asked for a better performance from Simmons; he truly made an impact. He pressured Darnold effectively for most of the game.
Oftentimes, the Seahawks also drew attention to him by double-teaming him, and he had to fight through it. When that happened, though, he opened up other opportunities for players like Montez Sweat and Austin Booker to make plays and get open to pressure.
Read more: Bears trade rumors: It sure sounds like Ryan Poles is far from finished
The Bears are flat-out a better defense when Simmons is on the field, and they have a chance to be really dangerous for much of the rest of the season. It's hard not to think that they are Super Bowl contenders with him on the team. Let's give a grade for how he played, and he definitely earned a high on his passing grade.
Grade: A-
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