Devin Hester Returns

With each stride as Devin Hester sprinted down the sideline with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown in Monday night's 20-17 win over the Packers, the Bears took another step back to where they belong in the NFL.

Yes, Hester is back.

More significantly, it looks like the Bears are too.

"It felt good, a lot of relief and at the same time a humbling experience, so I'm not going to brag about it,'' Hester said in a joyous locker room. "(But) our special teams is getting our 'swag' back.''

Nobody displayed more resilience than Hester. From general manager Jerry Angelo to the Bears broadcast booth, the idea of taking Hester's punt-return duties away has been broached lately. Hester had looked lost, slow and tentative -- everything he wasn't when he caught Tim Masthay's punt at his own 38-yard line with the Bears trailing 10-7 in a game as good as advertised.

Then Hester accelerated with a gear we have seldom seen since his last return for a touchdown in the final game of the 2007 season finale and took advantage of a Nick Roach block to strut into the end zone.

"We haven't been pleased with what Devin had been doing, but you have to stay patient,'' Smith said. "If you talk to most opponents, they'll still tell you there's fear when Devin goes back there.''

Just like that, Hester's return ignited the stadium and a Bears team that refused to go away. It also As well as saved Smith from more embarrassment over a questionable call.

Smith will point to his decision to go for the touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1 as the impetus for creating a shorter field that set up Hester's touchdown. But even though the result ended in a way that favored the Bears, I still have a hard time with Smith passing up a sure chance at points in a close game.

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(chicagotribune.com)