When the Chicago Bears heard that Joe Thuney was available, they were shocked. Teams aren’t usually in the business of trading future Hall of Fame players. However, it was a unique situation with the Kansas City Chiefs. They were hard-pressed for cap space and needed it to secure some of their younger pieces. As a result, they were forced to trade the All-Pro guard. It was a no-brainer for the Bears. Not only would he lock down their troublesome left guard spot, but he’d also provide essential leadership in a room that hasn’t had enough.
Ten games into the season, Thuney has been everything the Bears could’ve hoped for. He’s been a brick wall in pass protection for most of the season and is a trusted mentor to younger players like Theo Benedet and Darnell Wright. Chicago’s offensive line is playing some of its best football in years. However, it doesn’t stop there. Head coach Ben Johnson and his staff have found another way to exploit Thuney’s presence. Adam Jahns of CHGO revealed that it comes from watching the guard’s film.
It is basically teach tape.
Blocking clips are shown in position meetings, as an offensive unit or, in some cases, to the entire team. The previous game is highlighted on Mondays during typical weeks but the clips don’t stop. More is presented during the installs that happen from Wednesday to Friday. It helps if some of the highlights include your current players. Thuney might not produce the same viral pancakes as his teammates but he remains a model for consistency and technique.
“It’s one of those things where we harp on all the details, like all the time with every position group,” Doyle said. “You don’t ever want to ignore it, because it’s such a huge part of what we do. And so anytime we have visual evidence of, ‘Hey, this is exactly what we want it to look like,’ we want to try to highlight that and paint that player in a positive light to his teammates and also maybe shape the way everybody else is thinking about how we might block a scheme or how we’re going to use a technique.”
Joe Thuney has a bright future as an offensive line coach.
The four-time Super Bowl champion already has a spot waiting for him in Canton after he retires. His mastery of the art of blocking is as good as you’ll ever see. Plenty of guys win with size, power, or athleticism. You always find that the best of the best are the technicians. They are fundamentally flawless. If the NFL ever made an instructional video, they would be the ones who would likely pop up in every example clip. It seems the Bears were smart enough to realize they should do exactly that with Joe Thuney.
You can’t say it hasn’t worked. The offensive line has gotten more fundamentally sound as the season has progressed. Watching Thuney operate on film every week would have that effect. You may not be able to emulate a guy’s power or quickness. There should never be an issue copying his technique.
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