Jeffery Simmons is the Browns' biggest problem Sunday

BrownsJeffery Simmons presents major challenge for Browns offensive lineBy Orange and Brown Talk Podcast, cleveland.comCLEVELAND, Ohio — Every week, film analyst Lance Reisland comes onto Orange and Brown Talk with a scouting report built from watching actual tape rather than reading box scores. This week, his report on the Tennessee Titans comes with two headline warnings that Cleveland fans should take seriously: Jeffery Simmons is an absolute problem and the Browns cannot afford to get careless on special teams.Start with Simmons. The Titans defensive tackle has been the one consistent bright spot on a struggling Tennessee roster and Reisland wasn’t shy about how he rates him.“Jeffery Simmons is the best player I’ve watched on tape this year besides Carson Schwesinger,” Reisland said. “He’s that type of good, like holy moly-type good. Literally Jeffery Simmons is a one-man wrecking crew.”Browns sign DT Maliek Collins to a 2-year extension through 2028 Why Deshaun Watson must start faster; Shedeur Sanders will still be No. 2 when Dillon Gabriel is back: Browns InsiderTerry Pluto on why fans shouldn’t expect the Browns to swing for the fences at the NFL trade deadlineReisland noted that Simmons racked up three tackles for loss in one game while being double-teamed. That’s not a misprint — he was being accounted for by two blockers and still winning the play.The prescription for Cleveland’s offensive line is clear, according to Reisland: slide the center to Simmons every snap, accept the double team as a cost of doing business and force rookie linebacker Anthony Hill to make tackles in space.“Don’t come off your doubles — make Anthony Hill Jr. make the play,” Reisland said. “Don’t let Jeffery Simmons beat you, don’t turn the ball over and you win the game.”That brings up the second major theme from Reisland’s report: special teams. The Titans blocked a punt last week against the Indianapolis Colts and turned a struggling week into a win. That’s not an accident — it’s a reflection of how Robert Saleh thinks about football when his offense isn’t clicking.Reisland cited a statistic that reframes how consequential special teams really are.“Block a punt, you win,” he said. “It’s between, depending on what level, but you’re talking 80% to 90% of the time you win the football game.”The corollary to that stat is something both Reisland and Browns head coach Todd Monken have reportedly embraced: end every drive with a kick. Keep the field position favorable. Don’t give the other team short fields.“It really works, if you end every drive in a kick and play good special teams, you have a chance to be at every game if you have an elite defense,” Reisland said.That might sound old-fashioned in an era obsessed with explosive offenses and fourth-down analytics, but Reisland argued it’s actually smart roster management. A rested Browns defense going against an offense that has to drive 90 yards is a different equation entirely than one that’s been on the field for 40 minutes chasing short-field touchdowns.Add in the threat of Titans returner Chimere Dike — whom Reisland flagged as a legitimate special teams weapon — and the message becomes clear: Cleveland needs to be buttoned up on coverage units as much as anything else Sunday.Handle Simmons. Protect the punt. The Browns win.This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Cleveland.com staff.