Words can't express how disappointing Devin Hester has been in the return game this season. I'll never forget all the highlights he provided for us in his first two seasons, but it's been a long time since he has looked like that guy. The Hester from this season seems to lack that explosive step to the hole and doesn't seem to have the same vision he did in the first two seasons. Sure, you could blame it on special teams' personnel overturn, which has -- in the opinion of some -- caused worse blocking this season. He still just doesn't seem right, though. Where's the swagger? Where's the guy who would find his way through a six inch hole that only stayed open for a half-second? Is he hurt? Let's ask Professor Lovie Smith:
''Has [Hester] been hesitant?'' Smith said. ''I don't know what word you want to give it. We haven't gotten a lot of production from our returns, up until this point.''Well, that clears things up.
Hopefully a return to the venue where he took back two kick returns on Monday Night Football in '06 will help provide a jump-start, but he'll have to do so with limited chances, in all likelihood. Danieal Manning, who has made plays on special teams this season in the few chances he's had, should get some work this weekend in St. Louis.
While I'd like my favorite player of all-time to return to his old ways, I understand the move to give Manning more chances. The Bears have lost the field-position battle in several games this season, and something has to be done to rectify the situation.
Still, can't we have the old Devin back? Please?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-18-2008 @ 4:55PM
Scott_gp said...
Nice baseless accusation there, canes...
Much like closers in baseball, it's not uncommon for kick returners to have a limited shelf-life. Guys like Dante Hall, Tyrone Hughes, Roell Preston, and Tamarack Vanover were lights-out for a couple seasons...and then they suddenly fizzled. Returners like Mel Gray and Brian Mitchell are exceptions to the rule...but so few of these guys stay untouchable for more than a few years.
Reply
11-18-2008 @ 5:21PM
Patrick Bateman said...
I believe he is a closet homosexual who does a lot of cocaine.
Reply
11-18-2008 @ 8:23PM
Ethos95628 said...
I think it's a little early to just give up on him yet.i mean,he was the most phenomenal ever for 2 years straight.by a long shot too.now he's not smashing all time records so he sucks?that's crazy talk.it's probably a mix between a lack of opportunities to even get the ball and a lack of good blocking.if he goes 2 years without a return for TD then maybe you can begin to say he sucks.
Reply
11-18-2008 @ 9:21PM
Matt Snyder said...
I will never give up on him. As I said in the story, he's my favorite player of all-time and I desperately want him back to his old self.
I'll be wearing his jersey every week the rest of the season, waiting for that one return that will get him back on track.
11-18-2008 @ 9:57PM
Brogan said...
Just because he got atleast 3 returns for touchdowns the past couple of seasons and he hasn't done anything good on returns this season doesn't mean he isn't a good returner. You people need to shut the hell up. you know nothing. The guy can't do everything. He can't take it to the house everytime. Oh I know why your mad at Hester, because your team has no offense. Hester is the only way you can score points. Don't cry next year when Hester is in a Dallas Cowboys uniform.
Reply
11-18-2008 @ 11:53PM
canes rule said...
hester has been doing too many drugs lately. If you know anything you know that most players that played at The U have done there fair share of cocaine and i'm pretty sure if Devin cleans his act up during the off season he will be back to being the best return man in the NFL.
Reply
11-19-2008 @ 7:23AM
nick said...
yeah, the NFL doesn't test for cocaine. that's preposterous.
11-19-2008 @ 1:35AM
meangreen said...
hasnt really done a lot at receiver either; why not just let him run back kickoffs. the offense needs the help of field position; they're getting killed at field position. Titan game was the worse.
Reply
11-19-2008 @ 7:35AM
nick said...
this team went to the super bowl 2 years ago with Wrecks Grossman. c'mon... If Orton doesn't blow this whole season by rushing back from his mankle injury, then the bears take the division and make a bid for the lombardi once again.
but getting their butts served up by Green Bay is not a good sign for this team. the bears have a fairly easy schedule down the stretch; rams, viks, jags, s-aints, pack, texns. all should be W's.
oh, real quick for the math wiz above, the Bears won the super bowl in 85. that's 23 years. 23
Reply
11-19-2008 @ 1:21PM
chicago fan= pain said...
I love reading your blogs Matt. You talk about the Chicago teams so much that it's funny. Lets face it the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks are all so bad that we need someone like you to keep the hope alive. Heck lets try to add all the championships they have had in the past 100 years. I know the Bulls must have the most and thats going back to the MJ times. The Bears haven't won a Superbowl in over 30 years and the Blackhawks hmm wait they never won a Stanley Cup that I can remember. Then we got the Cubs. I don't like talking about the Cubs because everytime I do I get that feeling you get when you drink too much and you get that taste of puke in your mouth. Matt it's time to get real and either post on some other teams if you want to post about a winner. God Bless You and God Bless the Chicago teams. By the way watch out for the Bears when they give up a Draft choice for Donovan this year. Where have you gone Mr Jordon. Oh wait we do have the White Sox but being a Cubs fan the White Sox are like the Red Sox to me.
Reply
11-19-2008 @ 3:35PM
Ben said...
I wish the Bears had not tried to make him into a pass-catcher. It's not an easy thing to do, learning how to operate in a controlled offense, route-running, getting perfect timing... I wonder if all the extra time he has to spend learning offensive skills has dulled his instincts on special teams. Hester does not look like a first option anyway, so why are the Bears trying to make him a full-time receiver when they can get someone else who ISN'T the best kick returner of all time to line up on offense?
Reply
11-20-2008 @ 2:46PM
Luke said...
It surprises me that noone else anywhere sees the reason why he sucks now as a returner.
Watch video clips of every good run back, watch clips of running backs getting many yards. Then watch clips of bad returns and running back losses for yards, does anyone else notice the obvious?
The difference is cut backs and hesitation, anyone that has played any level of football knows that it is difficult to tackle a guy that comes at you or by you at full speed and you are running in a different direction than he is. It is easy to tackle a guy that dances and hesitates, unless you are Barry Sanders, which noone has yet to run as well as him.
Hester dances, side steps, hesitates, does everything but run straight. He actually runs INTO tacklers as he dances. He is thinking too much about it and needs to cut it out. It is hard to accelerate back up to full speed when you stop to side step.
Most of his returns he does this on. If he keeps it up, I don't see him ever returning a kick back for a touchdown again.
The other game he had a good run back, but he ran straight and tried to cut outside the kicker and was forced out of bounds.
Reply