Who Was Ravens' Best In Loss To Steelers? He 'Flew Around!'

Who Was Baltimore Ravens' Best In Loss To Pittsburgh Steelers? Trenton Simpson 'Flew Around!'

Don't tell Trenton Simpson that Sunday's game was meaningless.

Locked into the AFC's top seed, Simpson's Baltimore Ravens more or less turned Saturday's regular season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers into perhaps the coldest (and wettest) preseason game in NFL history. Ravens reserves enjoyed some of their first extended action of the year with Baltimore unable to go up or down on the AFC bracket.

No one took better advantage than Simpson, the team's most recent third-round pick out of Clemson: though Pittsburgh prevailed 17-10, Simpson had seven tackles, including two for loss, and his first career NFL sack in an effort that drew warm praise from teammates and manager alike.

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"(I) couldn't be happier for him," starting linebacker Patrick Queen said, per Ryan Mink of the Ravens' official site. "(He's a) great dude. He had me nervous; we were going over all the calls and stuff, and he was just asking (a lot of) questions trying to figure out everything. But that's why you're seeing the way he's played. He's just on top of all his stuff." 

"He played really well," head coach Jim Harbaugh added. "He flew around, made tackles, played a very good football game. (I'm) very excited for the way he played."

Trapped behind defensive standouts like Queen and Roquan Smith on the Ravens' depth chart, one can't claim that Simpson's aren't earned. The Charlotte native had six tackles entering Saturday's game, almost all of them coming on special teams. Simpson did get in the box score during New Year's Eve's victory in Miami, recovering a botched Mike White snap and running it back 10 yards. 

While Simpson retained his special teams duties on Saturday (picking up two tackles on punt returns), Baltimore is likely impressed by what he had to offer on defense, especially with fellow linebackers Queen, Malik Harrison, and Del'Shawn Phillips set to hit free agency. Simpson, however, somewhat downplayed the notion of Saturday serving as some sort of turning point for his budding NFL career, knowing that box scores such as the one the Ravens posted on Saturday won't be kept in the Baltimore archives. 

Instead, Simpson eagerly anticipated an opportunity to continue making a name for himself during preparation for the AFC Divisional playoffs, which will be staged against an opponent to be determined.

"This is just a step-stone, stepping in the right direction," Simpson said, per Kyle Phoenix of Baltimore Beatdown. "(I) just keep going, continue to get ready to go to practice Wednesday and get better." 

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"This is just the beginning, just continue to keep going growing every day, trust in the process and every day just asking, keep asking questions.”