The Baltimore Ravens have to be satisfied with the production that they have got from left guard John Simpson this far. The Las Vegas Raiders let him go, thinking he was more of a journeyman than a starter, but here he is, starting every game for a first-place roster.
The Baltimore Ravens need John Simpson to control his penalties before the NFL playoffs
The Ravens' issues at tackle have also taken the attention away from Simpson, as he is not the biggest concern on the line right now. However, his recent stretch of play has brought questions, especially in terms of penalties.
Simpson has nine penalties for 86 yards this season. That is the most yards and penalties by any individual offensive guard in the NFL all year. He has four holding calls against him, which is the second worst among guards.
This issue has stemmed a lot in recent weeks. Simpson has had five penalties since week 11. Four of those penalties have amounted to over 10 yards. Against the Jaguars, he had an awful personal foul that was near the goal line. Lamar Jackson saved him with a touchdown, but it almost was a play that would cost his team four points.
On Monday, he had a ten-yard penalty for illegal use of hands, and it took the team back ten yards. The Ravens have survived the issues, but the games are about to get a lot more serious in about two weeks.
The Baltimore Ravens are Super Bowl contenders, which means every advantage will be put under the microscope. If teams think that they can steal ten yards from Simpson, then they are going to attack him and look to draw penalties.
John Simpson needs to clean up his play in the following two weeks, or questions will only increase.