The Bears defense did not allow points on eight of the Seahawks' 11 drives, forcing five punts, a blocked field goal by defensive end Austin Booker, an interception by Lynch and a turnover on downs just before the two-minute warning to close out the win.
Even when Simmons wasn't making the play himself, he still affected the Seattle offense on seemingly every snap, bringing a jolt of energy to the entire defense.
"Phenomenal player," defensive end Daniel Hardy said. "Really charged up the locker room. Definitely boosted up the DL. He took a ton of reps tonight and made them all count. You gotta account for him. Give him a 1-on-1, it's not gonna end well.
"He frees stuff up for everybody just because he draws so much attention to him. So appreciate it, and we're all happy with the production."
The player who seemed to benefit most from Simmons's addition was his college teammate at Mississippi State, Montez Sweat, who recorded three quarterback hits and a sack on Darnold. He also had two additional sacks which were negated by penalties.
Sweat told reporters postgame that it's "a great feeling" to team up with his fellow Bulldog again and noted that the attention Simmons commands will continue to help him and the rest of the D-line find additional success.
"I definitely got my opportunities," Sweat said. "I definitely got some 1-on-1s. I was looking forward to taking advantage of that, and I'm looking forward to doing that the rest of the year.
"\[Simmons has\] definitely upped his game and his IQ. He's always had a real love for the game, and that affects you across the whole line and the whole team."