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Brian Simmons Questionable Week 7 (1 Viewer)

Yeah, I'm not convinced it's going to begin well, though. No Simmons, no Jeanty, no Jackson. Brooks getting the bulk of his work at SLB for three weeks. I'm pretty surprised the Bengals don't have him at SLB with Miller in the middle. Good thing the Bengals have a shot at controlling the LOS against the poor Buc OL. You're going to see some really good plays, but I'd be surprised if Cadillac doesn't rip off a couple of 20 yard plus runs.

Will be watching intently for sure.

 
Very interested in this situation today as well. Hopefully he gets in there and makes some plays.

Now, would fantasy owners take the risk of starting Brooks this week?

 
Three tackles in the Q1. How does he look?
Like a rookie. :) Over-running some plays, but he's interested in filling and hitting which is a welcome change. Not playing in nickel packages but has made a play or two (one pursuit, one PD rushing up the middle) in passing situations.
 
nortobc said:
Ended the game w/ 10 solo, 1 assist, 1 PD. Not bad. How long will Simmons be out for?
He's been off and on the injury report with injuries like this one for a number of seasons. It shouldn't affect him long term. The question will be whether the Bengals can keep Brooks out of the middle now. He's going to grade out very well -- he played well in coverage, did everything downhill, and was in position about as often as Thurman was last year. And he clearly got better as the game wore on. Rashad Jeanty is still the best SLB on the team, probably. Personally, I think Jeanty/Brooks/Johnson is the best lineup, but Simmons is going to play. Hard to say whether it'll be at MLB or WLB today though.
 
How did this guy fall off so badly at Virginia? Congrats to everyone who took him in supplemental rookie drafts/grabbed him in FA. I decided not throw a 2007 pick at him because of the myriad of issues in college (durability, weight gain, getting kicked off the team), and now he comes out of the gate like an IDP stud.

 
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How did this guy fall off so badly at Virginia? Congrats to everyone who took him in supplemental rookie drafts/grabbed him in FA. I decided not throw a 2007 pick at him because of all the myriad of issues in college (durability, weight gain, getting kicked off the team), and now he comes out of the gate like an IDP stud.
On my DTS, grabbed him as a FA myself. Promising start. He's big and fast, if he can stay clean he could be a great pickup.
 
How did this guy fall off so badly at Virginia? Congrats to everyone who took him in supplemental rookie drafts/grabbed him in FA. I decided not throw a 2007 pick at him because of the myriad of issues in college (durability, weight gain, getting kicked off the team), and now he comes out of the gate like an IDP stud.
injured his senior year and ballooned to almost 300 lbs... i think he was considered a top 3-5 LB prospect before he got hurt...
 
How did this guy fall off so badly at Virginia? Congrats to everyone who took him in supplemental rookie drafts/grabbed him in FA. I decided not throw a 2007 pick at him because of the myriad of issues in college (durability, weight gain, getting kicked off the team), and now he comes out of the gate like an IDP stud.
injured his senior year and ballooned to almost 300 lbs... i think he was considered a top 3-5 LB prospect before he got hurt...
Ahmad Brooks was a stud coming out of high school. Some considered him the best LB in the country his sophmore and junior season. He had some injuries and off field issues.
 
How did this guy fall off so badly at Virginia? Congrats to everyone who took him in supplemental rookie drafts/grabbed him in FA. I decided not throw a 2007 pick at him because of the myriad of issues in college (durability, weight gain, getting kicked off the team), and now he comes out of the gate like an IDP stud.
I picked him up in 2 of my dynasty leagues. Does he stay the starter if Simmons is out again this week? That is the million dollar question. Followed by if he wins the MLB what happens if Thurman gets reinstated next season? Has Thurman seen the last of Cincy? Will Brooks be the new Thurman - hopefully without the off the field issues (even though he had issues in college)?
 
Damn, it's ONE game guys. Why don't you just compare him to Ray Lewis already! He'll be riding the pine if Simmons can play Sunday.

 
I suspect the attention, Otter, is due to the fact that Brooks is actually available in leagues while Lewis is not. Otherwise, you are quite right.

But you know how it is--we are all dying to get that one player who puts us over the top!

 
Damn, it's ONE game guys. Why don't you just compare him to Ray Lewis already! He'll be riding the pine if Simmons can play Sunday.
Ahmad Brooks is and will be a much better LB than Simmons.
If Brooks is much better than Simmons, then he'd be the starter.Not going out on a limb in suggesting that he will be much better than Simmons, since Simmons is average at best.

 
Damn, it's ONE game guys. Why don't you just compare him to Ray Lewis already! He'll be riding the pine if Simmons can play Sunday.
Ahmad Brooks is and will be a much better LB than Simmons.
If Brooks is much better than Simmons, then he'd be the starter.Not going out on a limb in suggesting that he will be much better than Simmons, since Simmons is average at best.
Ok I understand but - what about the question of what will happen when Thurman is able to return? Does he return to the Bengals and Simmons moves to WLB? Or does Simmons stay in the middle and Brooks plays OLB or WLB and Thurman moves on to another team. What is going to be the "dynasty" future of the linebacking core of the Bengals? Brooks has talent - he is raw yet but once it is harnessed how will it be used? His rawness is why he didn't start in the middle after Thurman was suspended. But with Simmons hurt they put him in and he did fairly well according to his boxscore but made his rookie mistakes per Jene's observations. It may be one game but....... :popcorn:
 
I wouldn't be surprised if Brooks sticks in the middle. He gave the Bengals a physical presense against the run that they didn't have the past several games. As far as dynasty goes I think the Bengals go to a 3-4 maybe as soon as next year. If Thurman gets his head on straight it could be Brooks and Thurman as the inside backers. Lewis may be fed up with Thurman, so I'm not sure if he comes back or not.

 
Damn, it's ONE game guys. Why don't you just compare him to Ray Lewis already! He'll be riding the pine if Simmons can play Sunday.
Ahmad Brooks is and will be a much better LB than Simmons.
If Brooks is much better than Simmons, then he'd be the starter.Not going out on a limb in suggesting that he will be much better than Simmons, since Simmons is average at best.
I know...just trying to get my :2cents: in. :D I just feel it is only a matter of time before Brooks starts. His physical ability is far superior to Simmons.

 
Did a little digging: From Bengals.com

Q: Why won't Marvin move Simmons back to the outside and let Ahmad Brooks give the middle a try?

--Kyle G., Fort Campbell, Ky.

KYLE: Brooks just doesn’t have the experience in there right now. The guy in the middle is charged with calling the signals and you can’t have any hesitation in the center of your defense.

Yes, the Bengals survived with a rookie middle linebacker in Odell Thurman last year, but he had the benefit of the spring camps after the draft. Since Brooks was drafted in the July supplemental draft, he had no on-field experience with the club until training camp and he had no football during the spring.

And Lewis didn’t have a lot of fun with all the mistakes Thurman made last year. They exasperated Lewis as much as Thurman’s off-field problems and I think he came out of it more convinced than ever that giving up some big plays for stability isn’t a bad thing.

Of course, Lewis could do exactly what you suggest and put Brooks in there and let Simmons call the signals from the weak side like Caleb Miller did in Tampa.

But he indicated not on Monday and, plus, that puts Landon Johnson on the bench and that can’t happen.

 
Since I'm going to end up typing something like this anyway, here's an excerpt from this week RTD subscriber column:

Brooks burst upon the IDP scene this week with 11 total tackles and a pass defended after getting the call at MLB late Sunday morning after veteran Brian Simmons couldn’t play with a neck injury. While he made some rookie errors, Brooks improved as the game wore on and proved himself capable in coverage. It should be easy to keep Brooks in the lineup when Simmons returns next week if the early season starter at SLB, Rashad Jeanty, isn’t fully recovered from a foot injury. It might be mildly surprising if the Bengals sent Landon Johnson to the bench if both Simmons and Jeanty can go this weekend, but it may be impossible to send the physical presence Brooks brought last weekend back to the bench. The Bengals crave the kind of fast, physical play Brooks can provide at MLB in the smashmouth AFC North. If Brooks can continue at anything close to his Week 6 pace, Odell Thurman becomes even more of an afterthought in the Bengal locker room. The Bengal MLB role is money in the boxscore. Brooks should be rostered in all standard redraft leagues this week. He’ll be much easier to drop next week if he returns to the bench than to pick up if he has another productive day in the middle against the Panthers this week.

At this point, there should be no question that Brooks can succeed in the NFL at MLB. It may just be one week's worth of play, but he essentially looked the same as Odell Thurman did last season, but bigger. This isn't some replacement level LB who ended up in right place on the right week -- read Caleb Miller. Brooks was a consensus stud until his off the field issues. IMO, if there are no off season/off field issues he'll start next season. Where he starts is dependent on whether the Bengals want Thurman around and whether Marvin Lewis finally acquires the personnel needed to run a 3-4. The answer to the first question seems clear. Thurman has been booted from the locker room and can't practice with the team at all. It'd be a much bigger upset if he started 2007 as the Bengal first team MLB than if Brooks did to me.

 
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Did a little digging: From Bengals.comQ: Why won't Marvin move Simmons back to the outside and let Ahmad Brooks give the middle a try?--Kyle G., Fort Campbell, Ky.KYLE: Brooks just doesn’t have the experience in there right now. The guy in the middle is charged with calling the signals and you can’t have any hesitation in the center of your defense. Yes, the Bengals survived with a rookie middle linebacker in Odell Thurman last year, but he had the benefit of the spring camps after the draft. Since Brooks was drafted in the July supplemental draft, he had no on-field experience with the club until training camp and he had no football during the spring. And Lewis didn’t have a lot of fun with all the mistakes Thurman made last year. They exasperated Lewis as much as Thurman’s off-field problems and I think he came out of it more convinced than ever that giving up some big plays for stability isn’t a bad thing. Of course, Lewis could do exactly what you suggest and put Brooks in there and let Simmons call the signals from the weak side like Caleb Miller did in Tampa. But he indicated not on Monday and, plus, that puts Landon Johnson on the bench and that can’t happen.
Hobson is usually right about these things. I felt, excepting Cadillac Williams' 38 yard run in the second half, the run defense was as solid as it had been all season long (3.1 ypc). That's skewing the stats to make a point, but I think the point is valid.As I said in an earlier post, I'm in full agreement with Hobson. Benching Johnson shouldn't be an option. He's the best WLB on the roster.
 
Is Simmons going to play this week?
Practiced today; listed as questionable. Looks good right now.
Any word on where Brooks practiced?
Not that I'm aware of...Brooks apparently was moved back to MLB a couple of weeks ago without the fanfare that accompanied his switch to SLB earlier. Since Simmons was healthy and Jeanty wasn't at that point (same as now essentially), my guess would be that Brooks is getting reps at MLB.
 
Is Simmons going to play this week?
Practiced today; listed as questionable. Looks good right now.
Any word on where Brooks practiced?
Not that I'm aware of...Brooks apparently was moved back to MLB a couple of weeks ago without the fanfare that accompanied his switch to SLB earlier. Since Simmons was healthy and Jeanty wasn't at that point (same as now essentially), my guess would be that Brooks is getting reps at MLB.
Thanks for the info Jene. I am about to pick him up and just hope that the Bengals come to their senses and start the guy.
 
Simmons missed most of the team portion of practice today and remains questionable. Jeanty downgraded to doubtful.

FWIW, this is what Simmons had to say about his neck injury on Monday.

bengals.com

Simmons said he had the injury during the week and while he practiced and wasn’t on the injury report, he said he waited to see how it felt Sunday to gauge if he could go.

“I think I know what it is,” Simmons said. “But I won’t say anything.”

He said he’ll get it checked Monday morning and he said that’s when he should know his status.

Hard to say if it's a smokescreen or not, but it bugs me for some reason. I thought he'd had neck issues in the past and after some research, he has. Never kept him out of a game, but he was listed on the injury report with a neck injury of some kind in 2002 and 2005.

 
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Are we to assume that he didn't "wake up on Sunday with a neck injury", as was originally reported?

He would've worked out a kink in his neck by now, you'd think :D

 
Did Simmons practice today?
Mark Curnutte reports that he did. Hopefully Hobson (bengals.com) will give a little more information tonight. I'd still consider him a game time decision since he wasn't upgraded after practice. Looking better right now.I'm going down to the game this weekend so I won't be on the boards. Hobson posts the inactives and any major starting lineup changes (as does Curnutte usually) before 1230pm ET on Sundays. If there's anything major, sometimes it's up by 1145am. If you've got Simmons, Johnson, or Brooks rostered, I'd be watching those outlets very closely Sunday AM.

I'm probably wrong, but I still think it's entirely possible that Brooks starts in the middle with Simmons WLB and Johnson SLB this week. Brooks is certainly going to take more snaps from Simmons than Caleb Miller did during the first month of the season when all the backers were healthy.

 
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Bengals | Simmons practices Friday

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:55:38 -0700

Mark Curnutte, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, reports LB Brian Simmons (neck) practiced Friday, Oct. 20, and there is a good chance he will play this week. Simmons is listed as questionable on the team's injury report.

Edit to add....

Bengals | Jeanty OUT Week 7

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 16:12:34 -0700

Mark Curnutte, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, reports LB Rashad Jeanty (foot) missed practice Friday, Oct. 20, and he will not play this week.

Sleeperz

 
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Bengals | Simmons practices Friday

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:55:38 -0700

Mark Curnutte, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, reports LB Brian Simmons (neck) practiced Friday, Oct. 20, and there is a good chance he will play this week. Simmons is listed as questionable on the team's injury report.

Edit to add....

Bengals | Jeanty OUT Week 7

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 16:12:34 -0700

Mark Curnutte, of the Cincinnati Enquirer, reports LB Rashad Jeanty (foot) missed practice Friday, Oct. 20, and he will not play this week.

Sleeperz
With Jeanty out, does that likely mean Brooks will start at MLB? Is this something we'll know for certain before the game starts?
 
With Jeanty out, does that likely mean Brooks will start at MLB? Is this something we'll know for certain before the game starts?
Hope you don't mind if I quote an earlier post of mine.
Did Simmons practice today?
Mark Curnutte reports that he did. Hopefully Hobson (bengals.com) will give a little more information tonight. I'd still consider him a game time decision since he wasn't upgraded after practice. Looking better right now.I'm going down to the game this weekend so I won't be on the boards. Hobson posts the inactives and any major starting lineup changes (as does Curnutte usually) before 1230pm ET on Sundays. If there's anything major, sometimes it's up by 1145am. If you've got Simmons, Johnson, or Brooks rostered, I'd be watching those outlets very closely Sunday AM.

I'm probably wrong, but I still think it's entirely possible that Brooks starts in the middle with Simmons WLB and Johnson SLB this week. Brooks is certainly going to take more snaps from Simmons than Caleb Miller did during the first month of the season when all the backers were healthy.
 
With Jeanty out, does that likely mean Brooks will start at MLB? Is this something we'll know for certain before the game starts?
Hope you don't mind if I quote an earlier post of mine.
Did Simmons practice today?
Mark Curnutte reports that he did. Hopefully Hobson (bengals.com) will give a little more information tonight. I'd still consider him a game time decision since he wasn't upgraded after practice. Looking better right now.I'm going down to the game this weekend so I won't be on the boards. Hobson posts the inactives and any major starting lineup changes (as does Curnutte usually) before 1230pm ET on Sundays. If there's anything major, sometimes it's up by 1145am. If you've got Simmons, Johnson, or Brooks rostered, I'd be watching those outlets very closely Sunday AM.

I'm probably wrong, but I still think it's entirely possible that Brooks starts in the middle with Simmons WLB and Johnson SLB this week. Brooks is certainly going to take more snaps from Simmons than Caleb Miller did during the first month of the season when all the backers were healthy.
Thanks. I missed that somehow.
 
Rotoworld:

Ahmad Brooks-LB-Bengals Oct. 22 - 12:20 pm et Ahmad Brooks will start at MLB despite the fact that Brian Simmons is active Sunday.Interesting. The rookie may be in the middle for good. Dynasty league owners rejoice.
$$#%$#%! I just dropped him in a 20-team league with 11 defensive starters!! Albeit I picked up Berry against Oakland.:3sacksplease:
 
Rotoworld:

Ahmad Brooks-LB-Bengals Oct. 22 - 12:20 pm et Ahmad Brooks will start at MLB despite the fact that Brian Simmons is active Sunday.Interesting. The rookie may be in the middle for good. Dynasty league owners rejoice.
$$#%$#%! I just dropped him in a 20-team league with 11 defensive starters!! Albeit I picked up Berry against Oakland.:3sacksplease:
MY GM MOVE OF THE YEAR!!!!
 
Great first series for Brooks. 2tkl 1sack and blew up the sweep play to Foster on 3rd and 2.
Then what? He finished with only 3 tackles and 2 assists. Did he play any nickel?
Some, but Brian Simmons came in on a few longer passing situations. The Bengal defense got off the field quickly often from the second quarter on -- four 3 and outs -- and the Panthers pretty much abandoned the run to attack Tory James with Steve Smith, running the ball only 9 times after the first quarter. Brooks overran a couple of plays and missed some tackles he should've made. He was primarily responsible for blowing up plays that Caleb Miller made tackles on in pursuit. I think the tackle stats will be there against a more balanced offensive gameplan if Brooks remains the starter.
 
Great first series for Brooks. 2tkl 1sack and blew up the sweep play to Foster on 3rd and 2.
Then what? He finished with only 3 tackles and 2 assists. Did he play any nickel?
I was going to post something to this effect last night but got sidetracked. This was the local game on yesterday, so I was :pickle: . He really got eaten up by some blocks. That play I mentioned on the sweep he just out ran everyone and forced Foster to cut back in. I think he needs to be a MLB. With his speed, once he learns to shed blocks he could be special.
 

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