Mariotti: Snap It to Hester Every Play

[theogt]

Seriously, this guy gets paid for this...

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Snap it to Hester every play

September 20, 2007
BY JAY MARIOTTI Sun-Times Columnist

You can make shrieking chicken noises, cry ‘‘coward!’’ from the stands and lose all respect for the manhood of the Dallas Cowboys. But there's a reason they're 2-0 and the early favorites in the NFC: They are smart football people who never, ever would kick to Devin Hester when it isn't necessary.

The Hesterizer is irked because he hears the Cowboys will be avoiding him Sunday night. They will avoid him because he has returned eight kicks for touchdowns in only 21 NFL games, one of the great underappreciated achievements in sports.

‘‘It's frustrating when guys kick it out of bounds and don't give me a chance,’’ Hester said. ‘‘This is the NFL. It's the highest level of football. Kick it to me and play football. Don't be scared. When we face a great returner, we take it as an opportunity to see how good we are.’’

But there is a way for the Bears to counter, if their coaching brain cells are intact. Remember that grand plan to use Hester as a weapon on offense? Seeing how Rex Grossman is one of the league's worst-rated passers and has led the offense to only one touchdown — a pass to a lineman, no less — how about using Hester extensively against the Cowboys?

In fact, how about snapping it to him every play? Seriously, that might be the only chance to win against a potent Dallas offense. If Hester touches the ball at least 12 times, the Bears will win. If not, you're looking at 1-2 and another Miserable Monday.

 

[ajk23az]

geezzz hester is good but he isnt a god...they are making him seem like hes tomlinson and earl campbell as one and can never be brought down.

 

[superpunk]

Hester gets too much credit for something that takes 11 guys and a crack coaching staff.

He's got good vision and he's decisive, which are very important in returning punts - but he's no magician. It's rare that you see him do anything that makes your jaw drop. He's a fantastic athlete who plays on a great ST unit.

To think that he would have anywhere near the same impact on offense, without the open field and the benefit of one of your potential tacklers being a 185 pound punter, is foolish.

 

[theogt]

Hester gets too much credit for something that takes 11 guys and a crack coaching staff.

He's got good vision and he's decisive, which are very important in returning punts - but he's no magician. It's rare that you see him do anything that makes your jaw drop. He's a fantastic athlete who plays on a great ST unit.

To think that he would have anywhere near the same impact on offense, without the open field and the benefit of one of your potential tacklers being a 185 pound punter, is foolish.

Ted Ginn owes him several million dollars.

 

[Rampage]

I'm gonna laugh when he doesn't return anything against us

 

[Boyzmamacita]

Hester gets too much credit for something that takes 11 guys and a crack coaching staff.

He's got good vision and he's decisive, which are very important in returning punts - but he's no magician. It's rare that you see him do anything that makes your jaw drop. He's a fantastic athlete who plays on a great ST unit.

To think that he would have anywhere near the same impact on offense, without the open field and the benefit of one of your potential tacklers being a 185 pound punter, is foolish.

You have some great insight, punk.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Hester gets too much credit for something that takes 11 guys and a crack coaching staff.

He's got good vision and he's decisive, which are very important in returning punts - but he's no magician. It's rare that you see him do anything that makes your jaw drop. He's a fantastic athlete who plays on a great ST unit.

To think that he would have anywhere near the same impact on offense, without the open field and the benefit of one of your potential tacklers being a 185 pound punter, is foolish.

...wold have difficulty in a regular set offence because he does not have the luxury of running at full speed when the defenders engage. At the most he will be four to five yards away from a defender when the ball is snapped and he has to replicate the expectations of Chicago fans from a standing start.

He's fast, but not that fast.

 

[superpunk]

Ted Ginn owes him several million dollars.

lol, I don't think it's Ted's fault that Miami decided to reach on him, and then Cam Cameron decided to justify the decision to the fans by drawing parallels to the effect Hester had on his team last year. Ginn could use some of that decisiveness and vision, definitely, though.

 

[CalCBFan]

See my post on page 10 of the Thread "Why I think we may lose to the Bears"...

 

[CowboyWay]

We are fools if we punt to him. Damn fools.

 

[Future]

We are fools if we punt to him. Damn fools.

Especially if McBriar is out kicking the coverage

 

[Clove]

...wold have difficulty in a regular set offence because he does not have the luxury of running at full speed when the defenders engage. At the most he will be four to five yards away from a defender when the ball is snapped and he has to replicate the expectations of Chicago fans from a standing start.

He's fast, but not that fast.

Not only that, but he's going up against a couple 1st teamers and mostly 2nd and 3rd stringers on special teams. If they snap it directly to him, Ware Spencer or James will rip his brains out.

 

[bobtheflob]

This sounds like a pretty tongue-in-cheek article. It sounds more like commentary on how bad the offense is than anything else.

 

[Reality]

Oh boo hoo ..

What about teams double-teaming TO? What about teams attacking Roy Williams in coverage? What about teams blitzing non-stop trying to sack or disrupt Romo?

This is football and people who whine about things like this have no business playing it, watching it or even talking about it.

If I felt that Hester (along with the entire Chicago Bears special teams players) was their best chance to score, I wouldn't kick to him either.

-Reality

 

[Clove]

Oh boo hoo ..

What about teams double-teaming TO? What about teams attacking Roy Williams in coverage? What about teams blitzing non-stop trying to sack or disrupt Romo?

This is football and people who whine about things like this have no business playing it, watching it or even talking about it.

There is no way I would kick to Hester without a 3-touchdown or more lead. Why? Because that's their best chance to score.

-Reality

Your cat looks viscious.

 

[khiladi]

Hester gets too much credit for something that takes 11 guys and a crack coaching staff.

He's got good vision and he's decisive, which are very important in returning punts - but he's no magician. It's rare that you see him do anything that makes your jaw drop. He's a fantastic athlete who plays on a great ST unit.

To think that he would have anywhere near the same impact on offense, without the open field and the benefit of one of your potential tacklers being a 185 pound punter, is foolish.

Please...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF6S0-A2UHg&mode=related&search=

I know it's college, but look at how quick he accelerates after getting stopped...