Hester fast becoming a good catch

Devin Hester has been frightening Bears opponents since his first game in the NFL when he went 84 yards for a touchdown with a punt return against Green Bay on Sept. 10, 2006.

But everyone knew he had rare return ability from his days at Miami.

What's really scary is that Hester has become the Bears' No. 1 receiver, and he continues to improve by leaps and bounds, with the potential to get a lot better.

"He's just scratching the surface," said Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake. "The things he's done as a return man with the ball in his hands, he's able to do anytime he gets his hands on the ball as a receiver."

Drake doesn't believe in the term "No. 1 receiver," choosing to evaluate pass catchers by how proficient they are at making plays, especially big plays, when they have the opportunity.

Hester rates at the top of the class on that grading scale. He has been on the receiving end of four of the Bears' six longest pass plays this season, and he leads the team with 35 receptions, 454 receiving yards and 8 catches of 20 yards or more and is tied for the team lead with 3 receiving touchdowns.

In the past three games Hester has 21 receptions, more than anyone in the NFL except Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald. His 265 receiving yards are fourth best in the league over the same period.

Maybe the most amazing stat is that Jay Cutler has thrown 17 passes to Hester in the past two weeks, and he has caught 15 of them.

"That means he's not only getting open, he's catching everything," Drake said. "That gives the quarterback confidence in you and it means he's going to keep coming back to you. The more those two work together, they're only going to get better."

Hester caught 20 passes in 2007 in his first pro season as a wide receiver after switching from cornerback. Last year his reception total jumped to 50.

This year he's on pace for 80 catches and 1,038 receiving yards, which would be more than the combined yardage total of his first two seasons (299 yards in 2006 and 665 last season).

"I definitely see bigger things," coach Lovie Smith said. "He's learning. He hasn't been at the position long enough to have perfected it yet. But he gets a little bit closer each week. One thing we've always known is that Devin is special with his hands on the ball, and that's what's happening.

"He's getting more and more comfortable with it. He is a No. 1 receiver, and I think as you talk to opposing defenses, they definitely look at him that way."

So does Cutler, who has quickly developed a rapport with Hester.

"Plays that we run in practice against the scout team, if we see something that we feel will work against a defense," Hester said, "we might chitchat a little bit on the sidelines and say, 'Hey, if this happens, just go ahead and do this.' We communicate a lot during practices."

Hester always has had the physical skills to be a great receiver: the speed, quickness, hands, elusiveness, etc., etc. But now that he has improved the precision of his route running and his knowledge of the offense, he has become the complete package.

That's where he has made the biggest improvement this season.

"We knew what he could do with his hands on the ball," Smith said, "so I think you have to look at his route running as much as anything. To become a great receiver you need to be precise with your routes. He has done that."

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner hasn't had much success getting the Bears' run game going, but he has found a go-to guy in Hester.

"He's been an all-around receiver," Turner said. "He's catching the ball on third down. He's catching the ball in traffic. He's catching the ball inside and outside. We've got to continue to try to get him the ball."

That would be just fine with Hester, who wants to remain on pace for 1,000-yard season.

"That was one of my goals going into this season," he said. "And to be a complete receiver, to get up there with some of the elite players and make the plays they make."

If Hester keeps improving at this pace, he's going to need some new goals.



(dailyherald.com)