If you are a Bears fan like me, you are thrilled to see that teams are still kicking to Devin Hester. By the way, get out your ballots--Hester is the league MVP. Tom who? Also, if you are a Bears fan you can't believe that teams still kick to Devin Hester! Hasn't anyone read his stats? Watch his rookie season? Did everyone miss his 108 yard runback of a missed field goal vs. the Giants last year? Did they see his game winning return against the Cardinals. The 2 kickoff returns vs. the Rams? How about returning the opening kickoff of last year's Super Bowl? That season was filled with enough highlights to fill a career. Was his entire rookie season missed by the Special Teams coaches of the NFL? Apparently it was--or was it?
I believe that I have finally figured out why teams insist on kicking the ball to Devin Hester. Hester has done it so many times, no one believes that he could possibly do it again. Its like going up against a pitcher who just tossed a no-hitter or a goalie that has 5 shutouts in a row. They must figure that lightning can't strike again. They're safe.
"The team before them just had 2 run back against them, he's used up more than his share of runbacks. We're in the clear." They say.
My theory (and believe me its the only one that makes any sense to me) is that teams in the NFL still don't believe that there is anything particularly special about Hester. Yeah, he's a good return man, but nobody takes kick returns to the 'house' with any consistency. Hester might have done it against the other teams, but the Bears next opponent believes that it won't happen to them. Kickoff returns are like winning the lottery--it's rare and it always happens to someone else.
So, they keep kicking and the Bears' return team keeps blocking and Devin keeps running, and running, and running, and running . . .
Any kicker or punter who drops the ball to Hester is a #### mother who deserves to have has #### filled by a cucumber, smashed in by urlacher!
Let's see how many bleeps are out there.
Hester is amazing, wheter you love or hate the Bears.
I think what slshusker so eloquently is trying to say is that:
NFL punters 90% in the league do not directional kick anymore. They go for distance that is why they dont want to kick it out of bounds or corner it. Kicking the ball short and giving a team 20 yards in field position can be just as bad.
Or a kick off when it goes out of bounds the ball gets placed at the 35 or 45 ? can't remember.
Some teams kick to him some dont. It wont win you a superbowl though... :)
you were wrong both times, lol, it gets placed at the 40 for an Illegal Procedure penalty.
Did anyone ever think they kick it to Hester, because they think that their team is good enough to stop them? By saying you wont kick to Hester, you are conceding to everyone, including your players, that you dont have enough confidence in your team to make the play. Who wants to send that message to their team? I wouldnt want to. I wouldnt kick it out of bounds, but I certainly wouldnt kick it straight down the field, long and deep, to give his blockers a chance to set up. I'd kick it shorter than average, but very high, to allow the coverage to get down field.
Seattle made it a plan to kick AWAY from Hester and it backfired... And when they DID kick to him, kicker Josh Brown had TWO tackles on him including an OPEN FIELD tackle that fired up the crowd. Yes...THE KICKER had two tackles on Hester!! When teams respect him, that's when he falls short.
Last edited by BlueTalons on November 30th at 8:34 AM.
Hester is outstanding. If we (Bears) were going against him, I would kick to him. Not out of disrespect (he is the best in the game), but because you have to challenge him. I am of the mindset that there is not a single person that could beat any team. With that being said, let's not forget that the other players on the field do an excellent job of blocking for him. Don't get me wrong he has instinct, vision, balance, and how 'bout that speed. You simply cannot catch him from behind. Seriously though, teams have to challenge him. If they do, hopefully I get to see him keep running them back.
I wouldnt punt to him.. But I would kick to him on kickoffs. Many people look at just the great stuff he does for the team. His decision making suffers at times due to his confidence in his ability, He takes a lot of kicks out of the endzone that he should simply down. He tries too hard to make things happen and most the tame gets around the 10 when you have a strong legged kicker.
He is the best kick returner in NFL, but he isnt an unstoppable force, and also makes mistakes.
It's a gamble...although Hester has made an incredible highlight reel already, he's also made some pretty silly mistakes. I would say teams still kick to him and hope that he fumbles, as he has done many times. Also, if your team does contain him, how much of a "boost" does that give them? It's a toss up...
I made a post about the best returners in the game, using some criteria beyong TDs. I found that Darren Sproles gives teams the best chance at good field position from an "any given kick" perspective. Hester has the TDs, but has a fumble for every TD. When do most kick returns occur? After the other team has scored. So fumbling on returns is double the trouble. Frankly, I'd kick to Hester. If he scores, then good for him. If I kick away from him, all I accomplish is he doesn't score, but I ignore the ancillary effects (no possibility of a fumbles, shanked kick, etc).
Devin Hester is a force to be reckoned with. If this statement wasn't made in his rookie season; capped off by his ability to return the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl, I don't know what does. Besides not kicking to him no special teams in the league can match up with the return game of the Bears. It hurts to say it as a fan, but I'm more excited for a punt or kickoff than than the poor excuse of an offense with Rex and his no hands receivers.
It's not as simple as just do you kick to him or not. To me, the biggest factor in whether you kick to a return guy is how good the offense is. If Hester was a Patriot, i would have to kick to him every time, because the odds point to Brady and co. marching the ball down your my defense's throat and scoring anyway, so why not kick to him and try and force a turnover or something? But considering just how bad the Chicago offense is, i see no reason to try and go for the risk/reward ratio of kicking to Hester. Even if he is turnover prone, he has a better chance of scoring than the Grossman led offense. Why let Devin beat you when you could force Rex to beat you? It's just that simple.
There are times when it is stupid to kick to a great returner like what Baltimore did against Cleveland twice when they should have been playing to avoid the big play.
But it would be equally as stupid to always kick out of bounds. Hester is 15th in kick return averages. If you take out his long TD runs, his return numbers aren't that great. He averages one TD every other game. That means half of the teams stop him. If you kick to him, he may break one off for TD. But so what? The way the Bears are playing defense this year, you can make up 7 points easily.
Hey I am certainly not saying you should kick to Hester, but that really shows no confidence in your special teams. Hey and not just because I am a raiders fan, but they contained hester in there game and kicked to him??
Interesting comments--can't believe how controversial this could be! jnava121 is right that the art of the "coffin corner kick" is completely gone from the NFL. With the way the Bears play offense this year, I almost would rather give it to them on the 40 than let lightning strike. In less than 2 years, Hester has passed the great ####le Sayers on the Bears' all time list of kick returns for touchdowns. Great blocking, great runner, uncanny ability to get to the endzone. bearscubs007: $38 dollars for an official NFL football. Your punter practically daring Hester to run one back--priceless. . .
Why were the Raiders able to contain Hester? Simple: They have Janikowski. But Hester isn't just good, he's amazing. He is, without a doubt, by far, the best returner ever to play the game. Yes, he has his fumbling problems... but look at the team he plays for. He knows that he's the best offense the Bears have, and he's trying to win the game on every return. And most of the time when he DOES run one back, the Bears end up winning (unless they're playing the Lions...) I mean, how demoralizing is it for the other team to give up a big return to Hester immediately after they just scored? I'd say that's gotta be the worst feeling you can have during the game if you're the opposing offense... you just worked your #### off to score, and your special teams let all your hard efforts be nullified before the other team's offense even has to get up off the bench.
But for the remainder of this season, I have a pretty strong feeling that teams are going to start kicking to Hester more often. The Bears offense looked DAMN SCARY at the end of the Broncos game, and if they play like that for the rest of the season, they'll win out. Guarenteed. So kicking to Hester might actually end up being the safer bet, especially if you can kick it deep enough.
Janikowski wasn't the only reason Oakland held Hester to only 2.4 yrds per return..it was the speed of the coverage team...even with that Hester woulda had a 64 yrd return but a holding call brought it back. Much respect to Hester and his skills.
I can't believe someone made an argument for kick returners based upon stats. Sproles isn't close to Hester. Field position is a highly overrated stat. What would you rather have, a TD or the ball at the 37???? And the reason that Hester is middling in kickoff return average is that he's trying to make impact plays, the Bears don't give a rat's 'you know what' about field position, the say "Devin break every kick for a TD" so of course he's not gonna just 'get what he can and go down' like most returners. I'm a Bears fan and I actually wish Hester would #### the first punt of every game because he puts all the pressure on himself to make plays the rest of the game. Happen to catch the Broncos game??? When he slapped the football on a punt return and turned it over, when everyone else was saying "YOU ####!!!!" I was saying "Denver's in trouble now" and then he preceded to return a kick and punt for a TD, keeping the Bears in the game and the playoff hunt. Save your crappy stats for offense. Defense and special teams are about impact plays, and in that category Devin Hester is UNTOUCHABLE!!!!
I'ma bronco fan & whata dumb move... why any1 would kick 2 him? field position! u can't give 'em the ball on the 40 or 50 every time u score, or need 2 punt... but kick away from him... corners... something! but not 2 him & not twice!
He's just the best... ever.. it was fun 2 watch, eventho we lost... what 2 do?! i don't kno... i don't think any does...
Last edited by hahmerhed on December 1st at 8:32 AM.
I was at the Raider game and yes they did have success covering Hester. Although 1 70+ yard return was called back. That does not make the state sheet. The Raiders kicking game is phenomenal. It should be as their offense is as bad as Chicago's.
One interesting side note. My seats were 4th row 50yard line, Bears side. 1st Quarter they run Benson into Miller on the right and fake an end around to Hester to the left. Benson gets 1 yard, as Hester finishes his fake there is no one outsife the Bears left tackle period. Not one Raider honored the fake and had they handed to Hester he could have walked the 65 yards to the score. They never ran that play again. Turner and Lovie are idiots. We will maintain a mediocre team until these things change
I couldn't read any more of this blog after he said hester for mvp, no returner is an mvp. Fun as they are to watch. Moss should be mvp. He has been. He is the reason the patriots are smashing people.
i was so glad to see that stubborn coach shanahan get showed up by my man,hester!he knew that the guy was a serious threat as he proved the first time he touched the pigskin.but no,he had to try his luck again by kicking to him again and sure enough,he got that butt smoked like a virginia ham!
Hester is good but until he starts making a difference on offense there is no way he is an MVP.
The reason teams still kick to Hester is because he can be stopped. Admittedly it is not an easy thing to do but it can be done. Look at what Oakland did. I think the rest of the Chicago special teams unit is underrated. If you watched the Denver game Hester had two or three lead blockers clearing the way for him all the way down the field.
The fact of the matter is that people are afraid of what Hester will do or where he will go so they don't leave there lanes. This allows an extra blocker or two to pick up those last few would be tacklers and clear the way for Hester.
Hester is an awesome kick returner and amazing to watch. Best kick returner in the NFL.
As far as best special teams player though it is Joshua Cribbs all the way!
yea last time i remembered, his kickoff return against the colts in the superbowl really won dat game for it didnt it? yea, hester's returns on special teams will win chicago many many super bowls to come!!! dats why their not even the playoffs picture this year!!! his kickoff returns wins GAMES for CHICAGO!!! YEAAA!!! hahahaha you #### losers from chicago are so high on devin hester and crian urlslacker. you guys arent even going to make the playoffs let alone win a superbowl within the next century. face it chicago, BEARS S.U.C.K C.0.C.K!! so does chicago!! Hester couldnt even make a solid return against the RAIDERS WHAT A JOKE!!!! all chicago bears and its fans have to do for the rest of the season is bend over to pick up the soap cauz they already dropped it!!! ####CHICAGO!!!
MoBStaR... you're an ####. That's all I'm gonna say.
Koka, Joshua Cribbs isn't the best. He's good, but he's also damn lucky... that 100 yard return he had where he #### up and let the ball stop just short of the goal line thinking it would roll into the endzone (which, in truth, was an honest mistake) was a fluke of a return. Hester's strength in the return game is not so much his speed and agility, but his paitence. When you give him time to look over the field, he can see where his blockers are going to create a crease and how to get to that crease before the defense can get to him. If you watch his returns, he will actually slow down, wait for blockers, then turn on the jets once he sees the block. THAT is the main reason why he runs back so many kicks for touchdowns... he has patience, and then once he gets free, he never looks back because he knows that nobody on that field is going to catch up with him.
LMAO. Cribbs making a play after letting the ball go is lucky, but Hester muffing punts is just a guy trying to make a play? Get real. I don't care what the Bear offense does the rest of the way, if their defense continues to get spanked at home they have no shot at the playoffs.Giving up 34 points to the Broncos and Vikings at home is absolutely unaccepable and quite frankly makes the Bear D look like frauds.
Yeah...Hester returns kicks good. Woohoo. What a spectacle to be seen. I am blown away........ Anyone sense the sarcasm in that comment????
Come on people! Who actually thinks that a good kick/punt returner is going to get you to the Super Bowl or even around the corner in the NFL? Hester is just the second coming of Dante Hall, but Hall could at least play wide out and actually be a threat. His heroics led the Bears past the Broncos guys.....THE BRONCOS. Not quite the toast of the league.
The Bears need to get off the Hester high and figure out why they are hoping against hope that they can sneak into the playoffs this year. This mediocre squad doesn't have anything else to advertise??? A punt returner? Are you kiddin me? This year offenses in the leageue are in the end zone more than they aren't and the Bears are proud of their special teamer???
I would trade Hester for a sound offense in less than a hearbeat. Hester Shmester.....I am bored with it.
Last edited by hooyewcrapin on December 1st at 8:22 PM.
Hester is a god return man.I agree with that.Like the man said how is a few returns going to win games for a team that has two good players.Him and Urlacher.If you cant hang with the yanks in NE.You have to take your chances down South.They are the only team worth paying for North of the Dixie.Since Favre is probably done.He cant caryy GB no more.GOOD BYE
Meader99... Cleveland doesn't rely on Cribbs to score for them, though. They have a decent offense. The Bears, for most of the season, haven't. And their defense pretty much mailed it in once they lost a couple of starters for the year. The Bears HAD the pieces in place on defense, but when three of those pieces are gone for the year in Week 2, plus the problems with Urlacher's back and Vasher bein' out every week... the defense isn't a fraud, it's just plain not there anymore. Add in the fact that they just switched D-coords, and all in all it's just not a good formula for winning games (case in point, San Diego).
Hooyewcraphead... you haven't been watching the Bears games this season have you? Dante who? Hall was never a good receiver, don't kid yourself. Hall was known for one thing - returning 4 kicks in 4 games at the start of a season. But after that, he came back down to earth. Hester just keeps getting better, that's what makes him so scary... everyone's expecting him to come back to earth, yet he keeps piling on the touchdowns. Oh yeah, by the way... who was it that caught the game-tying touchdown pass at the end of the Vikings game, or the 21 yard pass on the drive on which the Bears scored the winning TD in the Eagles game? Don't worry, I'll wait.
Oh, and by the way, if the Bears win this week, they'll be in control of the wildcard spot... or did you forget that? C'mon dude, this is the NFC, anything's possible.
And ExMidget54, I can't believe someone made an argument about kick returners using homer anecdotes. The point I made about Sproles was that considering punt returns and kick returns, he gives you the best chance on any given kickoff of maximizing the team's field position. The fumbles ARE a problem. They essentially offset his touchdowns.
To say that someone who doesn't play for your hometown team is also good at football, isn't a slam at that player. Hester is dynamic. I was at the KC game where he took one back, and had one called back. I root for him to take it to the house every time, but too many arguments are made on a "because I said so" basis. Sproles isn't THE dynamic player that Hester is, but he's more consistent.
Finally, how is field position overrated? Many teams outgain their opponents and lose. One reason, they stop counting yards after you cross the goal line. If the drive starts at the 40, as opposed to the 35, that difference adds up over the course o####ame. Furthermore, stalled drives have a better chance of becoming field goals, rather than punts.
That didn't work out against the Cowboys, did it???? Nope, I believe his longest return was 10 yards, got caught before the 20 twice, with 2 fumbles (1 recovered)....
If you have excellent kick coverage, then kick it to him...If you don't then kick away...And as for MVP; you did see him drop that Grossman pass (that hit him right in the hands) didn't you....Not even close to the MVP.
Okay, let's get one thing straight: all y'all that took the MVP comment seriously need to lighten up just a wee bit. One could argue that Hester is the Bears MVP, but not league MVP. That was a tongue 'n cheek comment.
Hey MoBStaR you seriously need to take a valium. Don't get so pissed off at Chicago just because you got shot down by some chick in a southside bar after you rolled into town on your mo-ped. Cut off the mullet, go back to your mom's basement and take a hit..errr..think happy thoughts!
Last edited by Gaucho93 on December 3rd at 9:33 PM.
I just started this "blog thing" and hope you enjoy what you see. Like my name indicates, I graduated from UCSB and will always be a Gaucho! I think that college sports are the best spectator sports in the world. The fans, the bands, the tradition and all the history of the univeristies makes for an incredible game day. Pro sports are great too, but don't compare in intensity.
