Even without Jeffery Simmons, the Titans are still a team to be wary of

· Yahoo Sports

The Tennessee Titans may have traded away one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the NFL, but don’t expect Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras to shed any tears over Jeffery Simmons’ departure. And don’t expect him to take the Titans lightly when they come to town this Sunday.

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With Cincinnati sitting at 4-2 and an opportunity to improve to 5-2 in an increasingly competitive AFC North, Karras knows exactly what’s at stake. The Bengals have a chance to strengthen their position in the division, and the veteran center isn’t about to let the absence of one superstar turn a must-win game into a trap.

“I’m out here bleeding on a Thursday to win this ball game.”

That pretty much sums up the mentality of a player who has spent 11 seasons in the NFL and understands that there are no automatic victories, regardless of who’s lining up on the other side of the ball.

Simmons’ departure certainly changes the equation. The Titans sent the All-Pro defensive tackle to the Chicago Bears, removing one of the league’s most disruptive interior defenders from a matchup against a Cincinnati offense that has been finding its rhythm.

Karras acknowledged just how significant that loss could be for Tennessee.

“That’s a top three dynamic D-tackle in the league,” he said. “So obviously, there’s going to be some adjustments made. But they still got Franklin-Myers. They still got a good group coming in, and we got to be ready to go and beat the Titans.”

Karras isn’t assuming the Titans’ defensive front will suddenly become an easy assignment. In fact, he singled out John Franklin-Myers as a player who demands considerable respect.

“We have to take a deeper look at it and kind of try to predict how they’re gonna play without him,” Karras said. “They got good players. John Franklin-Myers has been playing at the top of his game for a long time. I remember him when he was young on the Jets. He’s been dangerous forever.”

For Cincinnati, the bigger picture extends well beyond Sunday’s opponent.

“We’re in a position to go 5-2 and kind of set ourselves up in a tight divisional race here with everyone still winning,” Karras said. “And luckily, we got two divisional opponents playing each other this week. This is a stretch in the season where hopefully we can take some control. So, we gotta go.”

The Bengals’ offensive line has been an important part of the team’s recent success, and Karras believes the unit is beginning to develop the consistency necessary to sustain that momentum.

“When we’re scoring points, obviously the O-line is doing their job appropriately,” he said. “We still have a lot to keep working on, but I thought we put some solid performances out there and we need another one on Sunday.”

Karras credited both the coaching staff and the players for the improvement, emphasizing that preparation and individual execution have helped the line work more effectively as a unit.

“I think we’re preparing well, I think the coaches have us prepared well, and the guys are going out there and executing great individual blocks and working together really well,” he said. “So proud of these guys and gotta keep it going.”

But the veteran center also understands that October success means little if a team cannot continue improving as the season progresses.

“We got to keep growing and hit our stride here in November, December, and that’s what separates NFL football teams.”

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