Chris Simms Hands-Off Pot Bust Blame to Backseat Pal

Tennessee Titans quarterback Chris Simms is passing his smoking-and-driving pot bust to a friend who was in the back seat of the car when it was pulled over last summer.  Simms, the son of popular former-New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, smelled like marijuana and refused to take a blood test, according to the arresting officers.

Yesterday, Simms' lawyer said that the 30 year-old QB--who was driving a Mercedes SUV back from a party in a with his wife Danielle, friend Charlie Granitell and another man in the back seat--noticed Granitell starting to toke up.

"Get rid of that stuff!" Simm's lawyer told the jurors Simms screamed at Granitell right before they were pulled over at a Manhattan DWI checkpoint on July 1.

Police Officer Francisco Acosta said Simms was pulled over for speeding and driving erratically and testified that Simms admitted he had smoked marijuana.

Acosta said, " He [Simms] was out of it, like a zombie.  He was very, very unsteady on his feet."

The QB's defense attorney, Harvey Steinberg, said the officer got it wrong and that Simms said his friend, Granitell,  had been smoking the weed.

Granitell will take the stand today in Simms defense of the misdemeanor stoned-driving charge and admit he was the guilty party according to Steinberg.

Simms' wife, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the arrest, will also testify.

Acosta told jurors, "She [Danielle] was telling him, 'Don't say a word!  Don't tell them anything!  Don't take any tests!'" during the arrest.

Simms is facing one misdemeanor count of operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs.  He claims he was not stoned and would not jeopardize his wife and unborn baby by driving while impaired.

Simms faces a year in jail and a fine if convicted.  He is not expected to testify.

If he can pass the blame to his friend, it might be the biggest completion of his career.