When Trenton Simpson lost his starting job to rookie Teddye Buchanan early this season, Simpson's outlook never changed.
It's still the same as Simpson steps back into the spotlight following Buchanan's season-ending knee injury.
The Ravens will lean on the third-year linebacker Sunday against the New England Patriots (11-3) and down the stretch as they try to make a run into the playoffs. Baltimore's defense is on a roll, and it can't afford a lapse in the middle.
"I'm really confident in him. I know he's going to come out and do great things," fellow linebacker Roquan Smith said. "I know he's eager for the opportunity to step in. He barely got any reps in practice and played a really good game last week."
Buchanan went down early last week in Cincinnati and Simpson stepped in to play 35 defensive snaps. He made nine tackles, despite having limited practice reps with the first-team defense.
Simpson hadn't seen more than 10 snaps since he last started in Weeks 5 and 6 when Smith was hurt. Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr said those were two of the best games of Simpson's career, as he notched 1.5 sacks and 19 tackles.
"One thing I respect of the guy is even when things weren't going his way, he was always there for Teddye, for the team, doing whatever was asked of him. He always showed up and whatever reps he got, he gave it everything he got," Smith said. "The guy has never wavered at all despite what he's gone through."
It has been a challenging three seasons for Simpson, a third-round pick out of Clemson who is super athletic and super hard-working but has yet to put it all together. He also lost his grip on the starting job down the stretch last season, as veterans Malik Harrison and Chris Board took over.
Will the third time be the charm?
"He's just more comfortable," Orr said. "Going with Teddye, it wasn't no knock on Trent. I think that was just like how well Teddye was really playing. But, I see a guy [Simpson] who's locked in and taking notes. He has command out there. He's more vocal, and he's a strong, physical guy. He's running, and he's hitting. Are there going to be mistakes here and there? Everybody makes mistakes. Some of our best players make mistakes, but he has limited those mistakes a lot. So, that's what gives me the confidence."
T.J. Tampa Feels Ready If Needed
If Chidobe Awuzie (foot) can't play against the Patriots, it would likely mean more snaps for T.J. Tampa.
Tampa has flown under the radar this season, but he's played well with 14% of the defensive snaps. He started one game against the Houston Texans in Week 5 and has 25 tackles and two pass breakups.
"I feel like the season is going good. Just getting a few more plays out there, getting more comfortable. The game is slowing down for me," Tampa said Friday.
Tampa said Awuzie has been a strong mentor for him, particularly with film study. Tampa was one of the Ravens' standout players this summer, as few (if any) defensive backs broke up or intercepted more passes than him.
"Last year, I wasn't able to get a lot of those reps [due to injuries]," Tampa said. "So now that they're coming to me, I'm getting my hands on the ball a lot."
Justice Hill Could Return Soon
Running back Justice Hill has been on the shelf since the Ravens' Nov. 23 game against the New York Jets due to a neck injury.
His return could be near, however, as Head Coach John Harbaugh said the expectation is that Hill will return before the end of the regular season.
"I'm hopeful that he'll be able to play, but hats off to the guys and to Rasheen [Ali]. He's played really well, too," Harbaugh said. "But Justice coming back is a real possibility next week or at the latest – I would think – the week after that."
Ali scored the first touchdown of his NFL career last week in Cincinnati.
Ravens Have Been 'Very Determined' This Week
After the Ravens' impressive win in Cincinnati, players and coaches credited their best week of practice as part of the reason for the performance.
This week, Harbaugh said he's seen a team that's locked in on the task at hand with the Ravens needing another win.
"Very determined, I would say is the word," Harbaugh said. "We've been fighting all season, [with our] backs to the wall, and here we are again. So, we have a lot at stake. Our guys practiced really well again this week. I feel like everybody is all in for whatever it takes. Let's go play our best football and try to play our best game of the year against a really good team in our stadium. We're excited about that, but we have to go do it, so I think we're determined."
