Bears know how to defend Hester

The criticism started two seasons ago in Philadelphia, after Devin Hester wandered over to then-teammate Muhsin Muhammad pre-snap for clarity on a play.

Bears receivers coach Darryl Drake would tell you Hester's action signified a young receiver coming of age by turning to the right person for help. But skeptics viewed it as a talented player incapable of picking up the offense.

"Devin was doing the right thing because we were in a no-huddle situation," Drake recalled. "He was the widest guy, so he has to come in and get the play. I don't want him running all the way inside, then having to run all the way back.

"Those who criticized him then? That's just people who don't know football. They don't know what's happening in the context of the situation."

Detractors still question Hester's football intellect, wondering why he was unable to connect with gunslinger Jay Cutler several times in exhibition play. Hester humbly accepted blame even though there was enough fault to spread around.

Drake and other members of the team saw no reason for Hester to be apologetic in the past, and they see no reason for him to explain his every move in the future.

"I guess sometimes I get a little too overprotective about it, but I do that when I know people are wrong about him," Drake said. "Devin is one of the most instinctive football players I've ever been around. He can play any spot out there. There's just so much more there than people want to give him credit for."

When Hester first was converted to wide receiver from cornerback after the 2006 season, Drake was the first to say it would be a three-year process. Based on Hester's success as a return man -- and his 81-yard touchdown reception against the Vikings in his first year at receiver -- most expected him to blossom immediately and put up 1,000-yard seasons with as much ease as his 11 kick returns for touchdowns.

Hester's evolution, now in Year 3, should be clearly evident Sunday night in Green Bay as the Bears kick off the season against the rival Packers. Many wonder if he has what it takes to be a No. 1 threat, but no one in the organization is burdening him with being the next Randy Moss or Larry Fitzgerald.

The Bears have enough offensive weapons, including Matt Forte and Greg Olsen, to allow Cutler to spread the ball around. In the end, the label of No. 1 receiver might be meaningless.

But Hester, third on the team in receiving last season with 51 catches to go with a team-high 665 yards, no doubt wants to elevate his game to that elite level so he doesn't struggle against pressing defensive backs, as he did against the Packers last season at Lambeau Field.

"He got over that block last season, so there's not a block going into this game," Drake said. "The second time we played Green Bay last year, none of those problems existed for him. But understand this: They didn't just own him in that first game. They owned all of us. We got better, and Devin got better."

Olsen, who played with Hester at the University of Miami, notices his teammate's growth on a daily basis.

"Sometimes he feels things, does things like on the playground ... he just has a good sense of getting open and finding the soft spots in the zones," Olsen said.

"The perfect example is when we played the Giants in the preseason. It was third-and-1 and we ran a sprint out. The initial throw was to the flat. Devin was a secondary read, but he sensed that he was open. He turned and gave Jay somewhere to go with the ball and caught it for a key first down. Just little things like that, I don't think people realize it."

Olsen's fellow tight end Desmond Clark also believes people have unfairly scrutinized Hester's ability to catch on as a receiver.

"It does irk you when people say he's not picking things up," Clark said. "The fact is, from 2007 to 2009, he's 200 times better as a receiver. Yeah, in the past, you see sometimes that people had to help him get lined up. Now you see him out there talking to guys, saying, 'Get off the ball' or 'Let's make this adjustment.'

"Who said he's not picking up the offense? Nobody around here is saying that."



(chicagotribune.com)