Houston Texans: John Simon reaping the benefits of his surroundings
Houston Texans pass rusher John Simon, formerly of Ohio State, is making the most of his surroundings and having the best start of his NFL career…
If Houston Texans pass rusher Whitney Mercilus is underrated because of the presence of J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, then John Simon is borderline invisible.
Simon is in his fourth NFL season after starting off his career with the Baltimore Ravens, and is in his third year with the Houston Texans, where he started eight games last year.
If you’re a Texans fan, Simon isn’t much of an unknown, but he is one of your favorite players on the team because he’s exceeding expectations week after week. So far this season, Simon is off to the best start of his NFL career with 2.5 sacks (3 sacks, per Pro Football Focus) and was the team’s highest graded defender per PFF last week in the win against the Chiefs.
Back at Ohio State, Urban Meyer said that Simon’s work ethic rivaled that of Tim Tebow while he was at Florida, which is pretty high praise for someone off the field. When you watch Simon play, it’s easy to see that he takes great pride in his fitness and endurance.
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He’s relentless.
He’s relentless, and he’s also taking advantage of a huge opportunity. Simon is playing alongside some of the best and most talented players in the NFL at their respective positions defensively. J.J. Watt, of course, needs no introduction. Jadeveon Clowney is a former number one pick who is also enjoying a nice breakout year. Whitney Mercilus is establishing himself as one of the best pass rushers in the league. Vince Wilfork is having another good season up front as the anchor to the team’s defensive line in the middle.
All that talent on one unit has paved the way for Simon to be able to make a lot of plays, and he’s taking advantage. Through two games, he’s got 12 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He had a whopping eight pressures on the quarterback against Alex Smith and the Chiefs, and as he continues to develop, he could wind up being the one who starts paving the way for guys like Watt, Clowney, and Mercilus.
It’s taken him awhile, but the former fourth round pick is showing some of the dominance he displayed at Ohio State, and providing the Texans with another reliable option in the pass rush.
The rich are even richer than most people realize.