Harry Hiestand has coached some pretty good offensive lines in his time between college and the NFL. Probably the best at the professional stage was the 2006 Chicago Bears version. The group was spearheaded by six-time Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz. He was flanked by veteran guard Ruben Brown who also made the Pro Bowl that year and Roberto Garza. Along with tackles John Tait and Fred Miller, they allowed just 25 sacks and paved the way for 1,918 rushing yards that season.
Suffice to say Hiestand knows what great offensive lines look like. That’s why he doesn’t shower praise easily or set high expectations unless he truly believes it. That is why his message to the 2019 Bears front five must’ve come as a pretty stirring moment. Left guard Cody Whitehair explained to Arthur Arkush of Pro Football Weekly the key word the coach used to convey his message.
“He [tells] us that we have something really special here with the guys that we have in our room,” Whitehair said of Hiestand’s message. “That’s what we’re striving for — to be the best in the NFL — and we just help our team win and be the best that we can be.”
Harry Hiestand understands the talent and chemistry in play here
Last season was a landmark moment for the Bears front. Both Whitehair and left tackle Charles Leno went to the Pro Bowl. James Daniels, their rookie 2nd round pick, didn’t allow a single sack at guard. Right tackle Bobby Massie started every game and had the best season of his career. Kyle Long, though he missed significant time again with injury, managed to finish the year. He is now fully healthy.
The Bears are bringing back all five of their starters from last season. This is something that can never be understated when it comes to offensive line play. Talent is important, naturally. Just as key though is chemistry and familiarity. When every blocker has a feel for what the others are going to do, it tends to lead to far more efficient play from the unit as a whole.
For example, the New Orleans Saints have scored 952 points over the past two seasons (29.75 per game). A big reason for such sustained success is their stability up front. They had the same five starters up front both years. It’s not a surprise that GM Ryan Pace, who came from that franchise, is a big believer in stability up front. Hence why he moved so fast to lock up Massie who was becoming a free agent back in March.
Hiestand appears to feel the same way.
