Thread: Hester looks lost out there on "O"

Originally Posted by Henry Burris

I disagree with cutting Hester, completely. On the kick/punt returns, blocking has not been all that great, and his biggest problem is that he doesn't say "ahhh, hell with it" and just run straight ahead. He goes side to side too much, but that's not a reason to cut the guy. Maybe he has lost a step, but IF THEY USE HIM CORRECTLY, there's no need. It is slightly distressing to think that The Bears may have taken the longevity of its most valuable QB and KR because they don't use them properly, however.

Henry, I understand your concerns and your loyalty to DH. We all have justifiably fond and proud memories of him being a terror in the return game. But (and I know this is unpopular here)...

He clearly is nothing like he once was as a returner and the longevity for that kind of burst and novelty is short in the NFL. It is not going to "come back" and DH is living on past rep this year in that regard. Teams are still scared of him and kicking accordingly which still has netted us some short fields despite him only breaking 1 or 2 returns for substantial yardage. That won't continue indefinitely once opposing teams learn that he's no longer "un-coverable" on STs.

You're right to some extent that he hasn't been used properly on O. That's been going on for years so do you see it changing suddenly next season? Fact is, whether it was bad coaching or bad coachability, Hester has failed to add another element to his game that would extend his usefulness beyond STs alone. We see flashes of hope here and there that he's "turned a corner" as an offensive weapon but it never materializes. He remains a specialty player only and that element is in decline w/o much doubt. His deficiences as a WR are well known and I won't bother to go over them again.

I guess it could easily come down to his contract and cap implications this offseason. Pompei wrote a column discussing this a few weeks ago and I believe he stated that Hester's "hit" was not nearly as big as we thought in terms of guarantees/signing bonus that affect the salary cap going forward. I would hope Emery would be looking for a speedster return man/WR in say the 4th round or so (think TY Hilton types) since it looks to me like Hester is nearing the end of his production and Knox will not likely be back to what he used to be speed-wise, if at all.

I'm just trying to be realistic here. I had high hopes that DH would become that dynamic specialty #4 WR type player this year with all the hype we heard yet again in PS and the burden of being miscast as an X or Y liftted by adding Marshall and Jeffery. But it hasn't happened and doesn't look like it ever will. There may be a tough and unpopular decision to be made here this coming spring and summer. We will see...

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Okay hold on. Hester dropped passes left and right? He dropped a pass, 1, the other "drop" was a bad no call PI. The last few games I can at least understand the negitivity for Hester, don't agree with it, but I understand it. But this game was in general more of a blah then a good or bad. 4 targets, 1 PI no call, 2 catches 1 drop, where is the problem? The missed first down; ya that sucked, but it's not like no other WR good bad or indifferent has ever made that same mistake. Also if Cutler doesn't jump over the LoS he has another catch and a 30+ yard run that would have put them inside the 2.

Hester stat wise, is probably right in the same range as every other average #3/4 wr in the game. But I guarantee you that those guys don't give the added benefit of field position on ST's that Hester gives. Problem w/that is that teams are not punting/kicking to Hester, per usual, so he rarely can use that athletisism, and when he does the blocking has been sub par. So best way to use that is to give him the ball a handfull of times on O each game and see if something happens. But like his ST's play, it's going to be hit or miss. 4-5 weeks ago it was hitting(when we had Jeffery), he had a real nice TD grab one game, and another real nice 1st down grab on a 3rd and long the next. Since then we lost Jeffery and it's been more of a miss(see a trend). Bank when Alshon is back, Hester on O starts hitting again.

The problem w/this game was 9 targets that the TE's(specifically 5 to Davis) got. This teams TE's should not be getting targetted more then Bennet/Hester individually or as a whole. These TE's are not worth 5 combined looks, let alone 9/10.

Bennett alone should be getting 4-6 targets, closer to the 6 range, Hester should to, but closer to the 4 range. Bennett was only targetted once, Take 4 targets away from the TE's and you have 2-3 more catches and probably 15-40 more yards, probably closer to the 40 considering how open he was.

No argument from me about Bennett and Davis and we will see if things improve Hester-wise when AJ gets back into the swing of things. But, I have to disagree with you on the highlighted stuff. DH drops too many easily catchable balls and fails to come up with virtually any contested passes in traffic. He overtly expects to get a defensive PI call practically every time he's covered which pretty much guarantees that he isn't going to get many calls that even may be deserved. He can't break a tackle for shit either which means he's only a "weapon" when Cutty can get him the ball with plenty of space unmolested to use his elusiveness. He had a nice gain on a WR screen vs. Detroit and would have had a dynamite play on that LoS violation call vs. Houston, but the latter was a broken play (Cutty was scrambling and obviously intended to run himself until he recognized the opportunity with Hester a fraction too late--for both the penalty call and the injury). How the hell do you call or plan for a broken play and busted coverage to spring him on a QB scramble? That's not going to happen very often.

I would be fine with DH as a #4 WR if he were used properly, which we don't seem to be able to game plan for all (i.e., the vaunted phantom "Hester package" we have been promised), and if he simply had better hands and stopped dropping balls he has no excuse for dropping.

Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I'm fine keeping him on special teams. I'm not trying to be a hater here. I've always been grateful for what Hester has accomplished as a return guy.

But as a WR, we have better options on the roster. Anymore, when I see Hester at WR, I feel like we're wasting a WR position on that play. Seriously. He's not an NFL level wide receiver. He reminds me of one of Jerry Angelo's guys who may have "measureables" but who are below average at the football position they play.

Folks keep saying he's going to "break one" as a WR. But we need a CONSISTENT wide receiver weapon out there. Not the "once in a few games" guy, who basically disappears as a consistent weapon.

He's a non-factor in our offense.

Bennett doesn't have any "measureables" but the guy can catch a football. He can move the chains. Cutler seems to have a trust in him. Why not use him more, and (of course) make Alshon a centerpiece weapon opposite B.Marsh.

Hester is all hype as a WR. We tried. The Hester Experiment did not work at WR. And, the vaunted "Hester Package" developed by Tice is a laugher.

Agreed 100%.

With Hester as a WR, beyond the dropped passes, the more important thing everyone is forgetting is he doesn't finish the play. How many times has he stopped on his route when the play goes somewhere else? Gives up when he gets bumped and there's no flag. Doesn't try for the ball he has to reach for. Sure, once in a while he does like a few weeks ago, but he needs to do that on every play. Last week he makes the catch at 5 yards on third and 7, then what does he do? Does he run forward to get those last 2 yards? No, he stutter steps and dances in position until he gets tackled. Punt. DH has no business being a WR. If he won't perform what the position demands, he needs to be cut. There is no excuse for not blocking his cover guy when the play goes elsewhere. It happens all the time and it sickens me. BMarshal is excellent at doing this.