Broncos safety Justin Simmons was flagged for a hit on Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo on Sunday, but Simmons thinks Garoppolo made the hit look worse than it was.
Simmons says that Garoppolo, who briefly left the game for a concussion check, was “acting.”
“I did see that, somebody sent me [the clip],” Simmons said, via the Associated Press. “I guess great acting on Jimmy’s end. But if I get a fine . . . I think anyone who watches that clip can tell there was no force with the helmet. I hit his shoulder pad with my elbow and I think the rest of what I was aiming for, I ended up hitting either his back or [Broncos linebacker Frank Clark]. Those types of plays are so bang-bang, critical third down. I’m not really sure how close the yardage was in real time. I don’t make the rules, but I don’t think it was fine-worthy. If it was, I’m sure we’ll do a good job with the appeal to that.”
Broncos coach Sean Payton acknowledged that his team committed too many penalties, but Simmons doesn’t believe he was part of that problem.