Hightower impressed with Tory Taylor, kick protection units |
CHICAGO—Special teams are often an underrated aspect of a football team. However, special teams have been essential to keeping Chicago in games so far this season.
They are responsible for a touchdown in the season opener, multiple big returns by DeAndre Carter, and rookie punter Tory Taylor flipping the field. “I think the protection, first of all, has done a phenomenal job for Tory to be comfortable. I think the gunners have done a phenomenal job getting down the field and … We still have a long way to go, but he has done a really nice job … He got every situation (against the Houston Texans),” Hightower said. “He got a backed up punt where he had to punt it out the back of the end zone, he got a plus 50 punt in that game, he got an open field punt in that game, he got one where he pinned in the corner. So, that kid, he did a great job last game, and the gunners, (Josh) Blackwell and Jaylon Jones, were outstanding. Blackwell made some outstanding plays in that game, and he’s growing too, and those two are growing in their third year.” Taylor punted the ball six times against the Texans for an average of 47.3 yards and a long of 57 yards. Two of his punts were inside the 20-yard line. He had a similar performance in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans, when he had six punts for an average of 45 yards, three of them inside the 20-yard line, and his longest punt was 60 yards. However, Taylor has a second role on special teams - as the holder for kicker Cairo Santos. Overall, Hightower believes that Taylor and the rest of the field goal unit have done well thus far this season. “Those three guys have been doing a phenomenal job - Scott (Daly), Tory and Cairo - meshing together and trying to help win games and the field goal protection team has done a really nice job, guys that don’t get mentioned that I would love to mention, guys like (Matt) Pryor, him and Teven (Jenkins), they’re doing an outstanding job on the inside at the guard position,” Hightower said. “Darnell (Wright) is doing an outstanding job. Braxton (Jones), those guys playing tackle for us doing a great job. Doug Kramer never gets mentioned. (Coleman) Shelton never gets mentioned. Those guys are doing phenomenal and then are wings are obviously (tight ends) Cole Kmet … and Marcedes (Lewis). Marcedes is doing a great job. Marcedes does a great job for our team. The knowledge that that man has. He told the team the other day, ‘I’ve made 18 years because I live a day-to-day contract.’” There are only four teams in the NFL that have blocked a punt so far this season. Chicago is one of them, along with their opponent for this coming Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts (Noon / CBS). Hightower knows this special teams unit is one of the best in the league and is excited to play against another fundamentally sound unit that will challenge the Bears. “We’re really excited about this week, going against a really good opponent in all three phases of the game. So, it’s going to be a good challenge for us,” Hightower said. “We have a lot of respect for these guys. We have familiarity with them because of the joint practices. So, I know that they’re fundamentally sound. I know that they’re coached with really good technique. So, we (are) really going to have to be on our details this week.”
