Congrats to Devin

[adam]

11 Return TDs in 2 seasons. Silly. That doesn't even include his FG return last year.

 

CHICAGO -- Chicago Bears star Devin Hester broke his own NFL record Sunday when he returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, his sixth kick return TD of the season.

 

Hester returned five kicks for scores last season as a rookie. This year he has two kickoff returns and four punt returns for TDs.

 

Hester's 11 combined career kick return touchdowns are two shy of the record held by Brian Mitchell.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3173810

[Pixote]

That is outstanding!! I remember before the season started there was speculation by the so-called experts that a player like Hester, after having a big year as a kick returner, sually never equals the acomplishment the next year because of adjustments of teams to him. Well, guess what, as usual, the experts are wrong!! He got only better!!

[adam]

That is outstanding!! I remember before the season started there was speculation by the so-called experts that a player like Hester, after having a big year as a kick returner, sually never equals the acomplishment the next year because of adjustments of teams to him. Well, guess what, as usual, the experts are wrong!! He got only better!!

That is true, and to think teams kicked away from him, and he still broke his own record. He should own the All-Time return record sometime next year, in only his 3rd year. Amazing.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I think it is pretty incredibly what he has done in a two year span. I also think it is amazing how good of field position the offense seems to get at all times thanks to Devin. I really am excited to see what he can do when he's on the offensive side more and just how much better our offense should be next season in general (hopefully they can take advantage of that short field position and eventually force opponents to kick to Hester more often).

 

Bottom line is that this was a pick I ripped from the get go, but there is no denying the type of game changer Devin is and I truly hope he can keep it up for an extended period of time. I also want to give a boatload of credit to Dave Toub and the rest of the guys on special teams because the Bears do an incredibly good job of blocking on the returns.

[BearFan2000]

11 Return TDs in 2 seasons. Silly. That doesn't even include his FG return last year.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3173810

 

 

 

And if I recall right didn't it take Brian Mitchell something like 14 seasons or so to accomplish that? That's what makes this so unreal. Hester's on pace to set records will be near impossible to touch. He's only played in 32 reg season games. You look at his stats and they are sick. The thing about the "experts" is they don't take into account that Hester can also improve and the Toub can counter adjust by looking for ways to get the ball to Hester anyway. One thing to help would be if the offense would make teams pay for giving up field position. It sure has made NFC special teams coaches look more seriously at their coverage teams.

 

 

Yet teams still kick to him LOL.. Payton sure looked ticked at his kicker and special teams coach today

[flea]

I think it is pretty incredibly what he has done in a two year span. I also think it is amazing how good of field position the offense seems to get at all times thanks to Devin. I really am excited to see what he can do when he's on the offensive side more and just how much better our offense should be next season in general (hopefully they can take advantage of that short field position and eventually force opponents to kick to Hester more often).

Bottom line is that this was a pick I ripped from the get go, but there is no denying the type of game changer Devin is and I truly hope he can keep it up for an extended period of time. I also want to give a boatload of credit to Dave Toub and the rest of the guys on special teams because the Bears do an incredibly good job of blocking on the returns.

 

you &me both

[StrangeBears]

And if I recall right didn't it take Brian Mitchell something like 14 seasons or so to accomplish that?

 

It was over 200 games, so how ever many seasons that equaled.

 

That's what makes this so unreal. Hester's on pace to set records will be near impossible to touch. He's only played in 32 reg season games. You look at his stats and they are sick. The thing about the "experts" is they don't take into account that Hester can also improve and the Toub can counter adjust by looking for ways to get the ball to Hester anyway. One thing to help would be if the offense would make teams pay for giving up field position. It sure has made NFC special teams coaches look more seriously at their coverage teams.

Yet teams still kick to him LOL.. Payton sure looked ticked at his kicker and special teams coach today

 

They kick away from him all game, but when they were pinned back they chose to kick it to him instead of kicking it out of bounds on their side of the field. And he takes it to the house and makes it look easy.

 

Here's how it's seemed to me this year:

 

Hester starts off the year great again. Teams start kicking away from him. For a few games, he only gets a few chances on KR and PR and doesn't do all that much with them (I think he gets frustrated that he isn't getting a chance). So, teams might start thinking "well, maybe he's slowed down a bit and we can contain him." And then he scores another TD.

[kyyle23]

Does anyone think a full offseason at WR and another year getting into being a WR will diminish his return skills a little bit next year(ie. fatigue setting in)?

[DrunkBomber]

Does anyone think a full offseason at WR and another year getting into being a WR will diminish his return skills a little bit next year(ie. fatigue setting in)?

I doubt it. If anything Id say maybe it makes him a greater injury risk. I heard them talking on the radio about how they are gonna do some new things with the return teams, almost like plays, to utilize the shorter kicks.