Hester says he's feeling better

Devin Hester said the bruised quad that knocked him out of Sunday's game was feeling a lot better on Monday.

Hester was injured on the opening kickoff of the second half when he took a helmet to the thigh, but he anticipates being back for the Lions after this weekend's off date.

The two-time Pro Bowl return specialist did not have an answer for his inability to break a long return yet this season.

"I don't know," he said. "I couldn't even answer that question."

At this point last season Hester already had 3 of his NFL-record 6 kick-return touchdowns. But, as he points out, that performance along with his 5 kick-return touchdowns in 2006, raised expectations to an unrealistic level.

"For the first two years we set a high expectation, and if we're not returning any punts or anything like that, then it's bad because you set your expectations so high," Hester said. "Right now we're working at it and getting better and better each week, and sooner or later it will come."

Hester's 22.1-yard kickoff-return average is just off his career average of 23.2, but he's averaging just 5.4 yards on punt returns, almost 9 yards below his career average of 14.1. Opponents continue to use every alternative to make it difficult for Hester to beat them.

They're just doing what they've been doing since last year toward the end of the season," Hester said. "A lot of bloop kicks, squibbing a lot, hanging the ball up in the air giving the defense time enough to get down, stuff like that."

(dailyherald.com)