Getsy, Curtis, Hightower talk matchup vs. Falcons | Chicago Bears

Getsy, Curtis, Hightower talk matchup vs. Falcons | Chicago Bears

All right how’s everyone I’m doing outstanding uh just want to start off by I know uh later today is a Jeff Dickerson award um and I know he meant a lot to this room uh obviously uh it’s the two-year anniversary of the passing and all you

Guys have the shirts on um all y’all have the shirts on and he meant a lot so uh obviously thoughts and prayers always with youall I know it me a lot um also um want to acknowledge uh and talk about about the fact that the news came out

Yesterday with Hester being a finalist for the third consecutive year obviously Hester means a lot to this organization means a lot to the city of Chicago uh has had an impact on my life as well um just the excitement he brought to the game uh how he changed the game I mean

20 career touchdowns is insane when you think about it uh from the returner position and when you think about all the people that are in the Hall of Fame when you just sit back and think about how prestigious that is and all the people that are in the Hall of Fame you

Think about guys that have had a huge impact on their position and a huge impact on a game of football and to me that’s that’s Devon Hester so I really hope that that happens this time and with that we’ll open it up to questions considering the rule changes

On special teams do you think we’ll ever see a player like Deon Hester ever again I don’t I think God made only one Devon Hester I don’t think we’ll ever see another player like Devin Hester again I know I probably won’t in my time some people may maybe our kids kids or

Somebody will but the impact that he’s had on the game and the way he changed the game it’s just when you really go back and study it it’s unbelievable and I don’t don’t ever think that you’ll see a player change their position the way he changed his

Position in a return game can you put in a perspective maybe um how different game planning was like in Hester’s era whether it was preparing for him or for you know others that were that dangerous with the rules that were in place and just like how different that would have been preparing

For Devon Hester compared to what it is now yeah so preparing for Hester back when he was rocking and rolling was extremely tough um it changed the type of punters we have in the game now because now they have to be more directional uh he cost a lot of

Coaches a lot of sleep like it’s a it was tough to try to keep the ball away from him um on Punt and on kickoff and just the way the rules have changed uh I’m glad that Devon was here before the rules changed so that the whole world can appreciate how special

His talent really was it it the rules have impacted that on kickoff for sure is the closest thing we have to him today Cordo that’s a good question uh for modern day era um and we got a huge challenge this week with Cordell obviously he was here as a player um he

Was a k he’s a kickoff returner only that’s the difference between him and Hester but again career nine nine career touchdowns got us last year on one I mean he’s outstanding uh he’s going to be a tough challenge uh their whole Personnel is tough I mean they got good

Specialists in coup and pinion and Matt Hollands and they they I mean they have a good unit that we need to be prepared for But to answer your question he is the closest thing and trending that way he’s one of the the better kickoff returners to see this game but what

Makes Devin special is he was kickoff return he was pump returned he returned field goal Returns on Monster kicks like he you know he’s just he’s off the charts great just greatness when you talk about greatness and I think every special teams coach in the NFL uh feels

That way so he made it to where you could not you can not not watch fourth down you had to watch it why do you think we’re on year three now and he not it I’m not really sure about that uh I don’t really know how all of that

Works I’d be making stuff up if I just told you why we on year I I don’t know all I know is when I look across the league and I’ve been studying this league for 17 years uh been lucky enough to to be here and a lot of coaches have

Been here a lot longer than me but that that dude is I mean his career was impeccable and I don’t know why it’s three years I thought I thought it should been a first ballot honestly when when you talk to your kickoff team about CP what are the the things you point out

Skill set wise that they have to kind of be honed in on yeah really maintaining your leverage uh obviously is dynamic football player uh obviously you do not want the ball in cp’s hands at all uh you try to keep it away from them as much as possible uh but you have to

Cover at sometimes you know and uh that’s something we talked about in the beginning like as the weather changes uh we have to be uh better at that so um it’s it’s going to be a huge challenge for our guys this week I mean he is he

Is a a damn good player where were you when uh KY you found out Kyro got his extension and what was the mood like um great question um when I found out because polls and those guys do such a phenomenal job of communicating so and I know that uh that they’ve been working

On it they the these guys upstairs in the Personnel Department are phenomenal when it comes to communication what’s going on so I kind of got the news before the news broke but I could tell you my feeling uh when I saw it come across was just a I was just elated

First of all because Kyra always talks about his three C which are confidence consistency and being clutch and when I think about the kicker that I want to coach uh at the at the Bears I just couldn’t be I just couldn’t be more excited for him and his family he’s such a good

Person uh he works his tail off um and really when you talk about a guy um that’s the pillar of all three seeds I just talked about it’s him and he wants to be here and he’s been as consistent as they come so I am like I I guess I

Got Overjoyed even again just because of the person he is and how hard he works and uh the the the I’ll just give you a peek behind the curtains when we when we talked about it in the meeting room the field goal the whole team went nuts and

The Chance broke out and they went and hugged him and tried to pick him up that’s how revered he is and how much people love him so we we are ecstatic to have him and really appreciate Ryan and his crew getting that done he said that for him like having this done before

Free agency like allows him that he can be here he can work out here during the offseason how big of a value is that for a kicker and just for like a coach too knowing that like you have your guy already locked up before you hit the offseason I

Think it’s huge cuz now we can uh move on uh to the next area that we need to move on to uh and he I mean he’s proven that he’s deserving of it even last week with the you can call it a gamewinner or basically he sealed a deal for us there

And that was what what a great sequence of football that was you know Trent punting that ball uh 57 yards right down inside the N yd line and then the defense going four and out already being in Red Zone already basically being right there and then Cairo to be clutch

And close it out and give everybody a hell of a Christmas I mean was outstanding so uh just just just again just happy for him happy for the operation happy for the whole field goal team and uh we just want to keep him going we obviously had two more games

Left The Season’s not over so we need to finish uh on the on the right note Rich I just had one quick question is there a difference between guys kickers who embrace the challenge of kicking a soldier field in December and guys who don’t it seems like certain guys are

Headstrong and like Rie really embrace it and not just are you know are undaunted Cairo seems that way uh is there a difference do you have you in your career have you noticed the difference between guys who do and do not Embrace that challenge um in kicking

In Soldier or just in in tough usually the best kickers in the National Football League which we got two of them coming in it’ll be on the field this week and they gu coup he’s one of the best in the league and Cairo is one of the best in the league they always

Embrace any environment they’re in and they got a mentality that’s a next kick mentality it’s not about a streak it’s not about anything uh it’s not about stats it’s not about any of that stuff it’s one kick at a time next kick mentality how can I help my football team win

Thank you all merry Christmas everybody happy New Year now coming up right because you look big picture this season in terms of your efforts and and your progress in in trying to mold the system around Justin what’s kind of your overall assessment of how that’s gone I mean that’s a pretty uh pretty

Intense question I think that’s something that you do after the season that you reflect on something like that I think when you’re in the thick of it you’re you’re just trying to do everything you can to find the best way to get the game plan together to go to

Go win the game so that’s a um I think there’s been a lot of really cool progress um throughout the offense and I think Justin’s been a part of that too though as you you know just on a general statement reflecting on that stuff Justin said yesterday that I think it

Was after the thumb he came back from the thumb injury Flo gave him something that said 200 so it’s like two touchdowns no interceptions no turnovers in a game what is that a piece of paper like just very basic question like what is that yeah what do you mean what is

That what he said he gave me something and said two yeah know he just yeah yeah he just gave him that they sat down they talked about it uh the importance of those things and then again he just gave them that that mindset of of of you

Know taking care of the football um you know making sure that we limit the sacks and I think since that point you know Justin’s done a fabulous job with with dealing with both of those so it wasn’t a physical item it wasn’t a I mean if it

Was if it was it’s not something we have a hanging up in the quarterback room so Luke understanding the big picture with this franchise trying to find its long-term quarterback how have you seen Justin progress towards that goal again that’s a that’s a a a deeper question than just about where we’re at

Right now I think what just regarding Justin there’s been tremendous amount of growth I mean where he’s uh just in this season alone how far along he’s come um you know taking care of the football um being in control of the game I think that’s been the coolest part since he’s

Come back I just feel like he’s in control uh when he’s out there I think that’s been a lot of fun to see um and like you like we talked about already like the sack part of it he’s he’s limiting the sacks we’re not turning the football over and we’re giving ourselves

A chance to win those games and we’re and now we’re doing that in what ways have you seen him kind of make the the biggest strides individually I think there’s been a lot of them I think um you know his ability to uh to progress is better his footwork

Is better I think uh the protection part of it is outstanding um the completion percentage part of it is good he’s throwing the ball accurately I think the extended play part of it has been a lot of fun to see him progress through that um so there’s been a lot of areas I’m

Leaving other stuff out but I think there’s been a lot of really cool stuff that Justin has grown through this year Luke how do how do you set that standard especially with emphasizing intercept no interceptions and no sacks and still allow him to be free and be aggressive

And and and take chances and that seems like a delicate balance it definitely is um but at the same time I think uh that’s part of the the experience that you get um both on the practice field and in the games I think as you experience those situations you realize

Which ones are a more calculated risk and not right and so um a hail marry throw at the end of the game like we’re not going to stress about what you know what happens in that situation uh you know but there’s times that in the pocket you can see him being very

Conscious of two hands on the football and making sure that he’s taking care of it so that if somebody he doesn’t see hits him he’s still going to have the ball at the end of that play so there’s a lot of different aspects of it but I

Think it’s uh it’s a reality of our game is that you have to take care of the football and then when there’s those moments in the game when you can take a chance you take them and I think those experiences of knowing when those show up that’s just you get those by playing

There’s not like a you know you watch film you watch other guys um you see how they do it we talk about in the room I think those experiences just the communication that we have in the room constantly helps kind of make you you know Enlighten you to those certain

Situations as well but the experience that he’s got you can see his comfortability in handling those situations body of work from against Arizona I think he was asked about this afterward so was flu 170 passing yard 97 rushing the sustainability of having a quarterback who’s roughly around those figures every

Game versus somebody who’s maybe throwing for 300 plus how do you balance the sustainability of that what can get you consistent wins when you know you have somebody who has that dual threat set another quarterback might not yeah I think that um I think the delicate

Balance of it all is just like it’s more about how you go get those yards right it’s it’s um I mean are you are you taking a pounding and getting those 97 or is it an efficient 97 and then just a hit here or there because there’s guys

That throw for 300 and take a pounding sitting in the back of the pocket that’s maybe even worse you know so I think part of that is all you know it’s all part of his game and I think the awareness part of it I think what I get

Amazed by when I watch guys like Patrick Mahomes is like their just awareness of like they don’t get hit because their just spatial awareness is just amazing right and I think that’s what you see with Justin now as he continues to play and get the more experience that all of

That is just getting better and better for him so that you avoid those hits I think coach was joking about like his sliding or something the other day right like like that’s part of it too right I mean that’s part of learning how to avoid that know okay it’s first and 10

And I can get three instead of like fighting for another extra three I don’t need to do that and so that’s all part of that maturity Justin mentioned that Justin mentioned that he thought some of the inconsistencies offensively were a mix of lack of execution and complacency

Is that how you have observed it or what have you thought of that um I I mean it’s always going to come down to a lack of execution I think that’s part of it right whether it’s a um uh whether it’s a particular person or whether it’s the

Chemistry of two people making decisions together being on the same page that’s that’s the growth of an offense right I think that’s uh there’s 32 teams that are trying to master that craft right and it’s it’s the impossible Perfection right that’s we’re we’re chasing it U

And as long as you continue to get closer and closer to it I think that’s that’s the goal and I think um you know you know hopefully the other part isn’t true you know I mean because guys can’t do that not in this league this this this this they’ll no matter who you’re

Playing they’ll come up and grab you if you do in Philadelphia we see the tush push and we see a quarterback really strong legs and a good offensive line make short yardage look like not a problem uh can you do that here uh and and especially in your third and short

Fourth and short situations uh is it as easy as just giving the ball to maybe the best running quarterback in the NFL and letting him do his thing yeah I mean I I I just don’t want to discredit what they do I think it’s pretty obvious that

They do it really well and they have a plan of attack and how they do it and who’s doing it all that stuff is all really important because like I think like we’ve alluded to in the past like all 30 other 31 other teams have tried

To um you know emulate that and I think we’ve probably emulated as well as somebody as anybody else just I mean that they do I mean it’s incredible right I mean they do a great job and and and you know when you watch them do that

It’s what what you think is what stands out is just that immediate push right where the yard already happens and then Here Comes two or three more yards after that even for those guys so it’s pretty incredible you know what they’re able to do with that there are people that look

At like the direct snap to Roshan on Third and one and and go like boy that’s a little cute um is there what did you like about that play in general and should KET if KT were healthy would he have been the pulling Blocker in that

Situation no no it was just a uh you you know it’s a play that it’s a play that we run I don’t even know how many times 12 15 times a year you know that you run and so just a poor poor uh what do you want to say miscommunication no but Cole

Would have done the same thing Bobby did if that’s what you’re asking he was doing his job he’s got the widest and then it’s a gap protection so everybody else has a gap inside and then Bobby cleans up the edge so Bobby was right in that particular my city he scored a

Touchdown Sunday and and when we talked to him in the locker room he was much more excited to talk about what he put on film in in the Run game you obviously known him a long time how do you kind of encapsulate what his presence and his

Value has been this year with this group yeah that’s the the uh you know the immeasurable stuff that uh is just huge for holding a team together holding a unit together holding a a position group together I think one of the coolest things in my mind that I’ve got to see

Is just you know you have this guy that’s in the room that’s ascending to be a really high level player that got that has you know Mercedes there to kind of to lean on him and see the kind of professional that he is the M ality that

He brings all that stuff I think these those intangible things are what uh you know you know Had Me Like You know I don’t want to say begging but like you know saying this dude’s gonna make a difference for an impact and then on top

Of it he’s out there doing this job at an elite level still at his age and so that’s all really cool stuff I think people just have that immediate respect for his presence both physically but even more so you know the the the the mindset that he brings to to that room

Every single day luk one of the one of the Knacks on Justin outside this building is that he doesn’t read defenses well whether there’s Merit to that or not what’s your analysis of how well Justin uh reads defenses and progresses in that part of the game I

Think Justin handles what we do really well I think um you know we ask a lot of him not just in the pass game The Run game protections and pass game and I think he handles all that stuff really well I think Justin is a a very is a

Highly intelligent person that handles a lot of stuff that we ask him to do we’re able to do more because of uh how much he can handle so I think from that perspective I mean I think he does an excellent job there was a there was a

Moment in the game Sunday where the TV copy picked up Justin kind of yelling at the sidelines you almost look’s yelling at me I know I know it looked like you had a smile on your face I’m guessing stuff like that happens more than the TV

Uh actually picks up but just what was your explanation those types of things usually happen when I have my head down and I don’t have my head up he’s like hello hello you know but like no that’s just when the when the Buzz’s not out if

You’re not hearing it you know I mean like there’s a there’s a natural Panic to like hey give it to me right uh that’s we have a lot of fun with stuff like that but that happens I mean people that I’ve been that I’ve been with that

Happens all the time so Luke based on where you guys were picking last year there was thoughts that ban might be in the mix there when when you were doing your pre-draft review of who he was as a player what were some of the things that

Yeah he was incredible I think you talk about like a guy that had every trait that you’re looking for in a running back I mean as simple as that like that’s it like receiver Runner blocker athletic can run through you run around you make make you miss like like he he

He was somebody that was Dynamic and there’s a reason why you know he was drafted as high as he was good afternoon good to see you guys again um it’s a special day honoring uh Jeff Dickerson I know he meant a lot to a lot of people

In this room I wasn’t here when he was here but um I’ve heard a lot of good things about him and the ward this is a good time to recognize and celebrate his life so um my thoughts and prayers are with you guys today so appreciate

You what’s the key to getting Bean to the ground it’s easier said than done um I think the best way to kind of defend him is population um you got obviously um he he tests leverage of Defenders he can stretch The Edge he can stick his foot

In the ground he can make an Abrupt cut but the first guys got to make a secure tackle and then you got to have population with the other guys swarming to the ball I think we have to you know our goal is to get seven plus guys on

The screen in any given play so I think if we hold true to that we’ll be okay you know he’s a special player and he’s going to be hard to stop but uh we we’re we’re up for the challenge I think is Gibbs the most similar player you faced

This year I tell you um Gibbs is they’re a little bit different I mean bejan’s a little bigger uh Gibbs I mean he has amazing acceleration I mean the guy’s like one step at full speed is it on a field full of fast guys it’s just

Glaring you know but be has patience and Rhythm and then he has the In-N-Out cut thing that he does and he’s also an excellent receiver I mean he’s got 50 almost 50 catches somewhere around that so he they use him in a different way but he’s both of them are really

Excellent players Andrew when you look at their their skills guys whether it’s bejan or Pitts or or London what strikes you as the collective and what they’re able to do offensively well they really got a high level of skill with those guys um you know you look at bejan I

Mean he get can you know they use him in different areas they’ll use him in uh receiver packages uh obviously he tests the ball he can get to the edge uh he fits their Zone scheme really well and then you got pits you got uh 81 you got

Five all these guys are like clones they’re all big they all play Big at the cat reception Point uh they all got great play strength with the balls in the air so they they they pose a unique challenge you know uh they they all have size and length which is pretty unique

To have that many guys like that you know a quarterback question about generally about Tyreek you know when we watch film when they show highlights on the draft of quarterbacks they always are much more physical than than they can ever be in the NFL and the question

Is well how can you get away with that for a physical guy like him what how difficult is that TR is that transition been to be a physical Corner in college to an NFL cornerback and and what’s your from from your Viewpoint what How’s he

Done in that is making that well he is you know obviously you know with a rookie any rookie making that adjustment playing Corner in this league is a lot different than in college because College you can ride guys much further long down the field you know they extend

The contact range where it’s a lot different here you know and so you know there’s going to be a learning curve with them what you want to try to teach them is give them discernment put them in those situations and then kind coach him and talk him through um but at all

Cost he’s going to still be aggressive because that’s who he is you know um we just the best thing you try to do with a kid like him is you coach the position of the player because usually if he’s in the right position they got a high

Probability of making the play where you get in trouble is when you’re not in position to make the play and then you’re out of the framework of your body and you got to try to extend and make plays that’s when they can get in trouble but when you’re in Phase with

The route you can look up and play the ball that’s when all it really cool stuff happens so a young player sometimes it takes a while to get him to that point and get them to understand that in this league is a little bit different than College jquan had a a

Pass break up in the game where he was like he was simultaneously wrapping up but also broke up the pass yeah I’m sure that’s like the ideal situation easier said than done but just I guess instead of going for the big hit and doing that so fundamentally

South I guess what’s the challenge of that but also as a coach what you like about seeing well I mean it’s the it’s the right way to do it uh in the way the game is being taught now a guy he did a nice job getting back he plan it his

Angle was really cool to see U he improved on that and then there’s always a decision point in there with the player you know do I go for the hit do I try to play the ball no you go for the hit you get in alignment with the player

And then if you get that early you play the ball you know so there’s a lot of really cool stuff in that progression that you have to teach and and so he did exactly what he was coached to do you know he was there when the ball got

There so you you now it’s about teaching him how to tackle a guy how to put his head to the side how to strike him in the proper area even when the receiver is changing levels so there’s a lot that goes into it I just thought he did a

Really nice job of that Andre when you look at uh physical Corners like Tyreek and Smitty do you ever think to yourself I wonder what they look like at safety yeah you know that that I I love seeing those guys even when I was back in Seattle we love we love those big

Guys I just think the way the game’s being uh the receivers are now you know the receivers all these guys 63 62 you know and I just think they’re u a lot of are ex- basketball guys and I just think if you got Corners with size you can

Match up with them a little bit better especially on the outside you know so I just you know I I I like seeing those physical guys and you know they’re part of the team and they and uh in today’s football the ball’s going to come to the

Edge in the Run game or the pass last game they just got to show up and our guys have been doing a good job of that you guys obviously have a very young secondary with Eddie Jackson kind of being the Elder statement back there are there ways in which you’ve seen Eddie’s

Veteran experience help accelerate the growth for the guys on the field yeah yeah I mean Eddie’s the he’s kind of like the mouthpiece back there you know the communication element um that you you just feel his presence because he’s seen so many things and the thing and

It’s not that the other guys don’t know is just that Eddie anticipates fast really fast you know he’s seen it he sees it before it happens he’s Community alert this on this motion alert be alert for you know that stuff is you know a lot of guys can learn that stuff and see

That stuff but can they share it and process it to the other people some guys have a knack for that Eddie that’s what makes him really cool back there

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, and safeties coach Andre Curtis speak with the media on Thursday at Halas Hall.

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