Hightower on uptick in special teams penalties |
CHICAGO - When the Chicago Bears play the Los Angeles Rams this coming Sunday (Noon / FOX), it will be a little personal for special teams coordinator who has a history with Rams head coach Sean McVay. Both of them worked for the Washington Redskins, now Washington Commanders, from 2010 to 2013. Hightower was the assistant special teams coach while McVay was the assistant tight ends coach in 2010 and then the tight ends coach from 2011 to 2013.
Having that personal experience with McVay, Hightower knows that they will be well-coached. “Obviously got a huge test this week going against a really good opponent, coached really well in all three phases,” Hightower said. “I have a ton of experience working with Sean and familiarity with him. I know they’re going to be ready to go. I know they’re going to be coached up. I shared an office with him. So, we spent a lot of late nights grinding together. So, I know how the guy’s wired and he’s definitely a really good football coach. They’re coming off a really big win. They were down 10 points in the fourth quarter and they end up winning that game in regulation and special teams had a lot to do with that. So, this will be a big challenge for us and we’re looking forward to it.” As a coach, Hightower takes a lot of pride in coaching a disciplined group. The kicking game has been solid for the Bears with kicker Cairo Santos and punter Tory Taylor both playing well. However, penalties have been a problem. This took center stage when on fourth and two on the Indianapolis 21 yard line, the Colts were about to be forced to punt until linebacker Daniel Hardy was penalized for a neutral zone infraction, giving them the first down. Indianapolis would ultimately score a touchdown on that drive. “One of our keys to victory every year or every game is to play penalty-free … We have six penalties this year and that’s too many. I think we maybe had six all of last year. So, the first two years we were here, we were top five in least penalties committed,” Hightower said. “So, it is frustrating for me because year one, we finished number one. Year two, I think we finished number five. So, we just have to eliminate them. They come in bunches and you get bad ones. Then, we have to have games where we don’t have any because that affects field position. It hasn’t killed us yet, but we’re still harping on it. We don’t want to be a team that commits penalties. I want to be a disciplined team. I want to be a sound football team. I want to be a team that plays relentless and a lot of that we’ve gotten done. We just need to eliminate the penalties.” This game is incredibly important for the Chicago Bears. Not only is it their first conference game of the season, but it also provides them with an opportunity to keep pace in the NFC North, which may be the most difficult division in the league this season as the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated while the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions both sit at 2-1. So, minimizing penalties in all three phases of the game will be essential for the Bears to win this game, as well as winning the turnover margin.
