Hester rips apart Saints in another amazing performance
The Bears received a gift when New Orleans punter Steve Weatherford mistakenly punted to Devin Hester early in the third quarter Sunday.
And Hester did the same thing lots of Americans do with a holiday gift: he returned it.
"The punt plan was out of bounds. Period," said Saints coach Sean Payton.
But Hester blew up that plan with an exclamation point with a 64-yard return of the only punt Weatherford was unable to angle out of bounds in the Bears' 33-25 victory at Soldier Field.
The touchdown gave the second-year speedster from Miami 4 punt returns for scores this season, tying an NFL single-season record.
"I've never been around anybody like Devin on special teams or on offense," center Olin Kreutz said. "He caught the punt and took one step upfield and I just turned around and walked back to the bench because you knew he was gone. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen."
The return touchdown was Hester's sixth this season, including his 2 kickoff returns, which broke the NFL record of 5 he set as a rookie.
"I really haven't thought about it," Hester said of his assault on the record book. "I'm just trying to go out and play ball. Whatever happens at the end of the day, I just hope that I give 110 percent and hope for the best."
The best from Devin Hester, according to coach Lovie Smith, may still lie ahead.
Perhaps still bathing in the glow of Hester's second long touchdown reception of the season -- a 55-yard bomb from quarterback Kyle Orton that gave the Bears a 24-14, second-quarter lead -- the Bears' coach outlined his vision of Hester's career path from the postgame interview podium.
"I look forward to seeing what his future holds because right now there are just so many things you can picture him being able to do," Smith said. "I think he can become a No. 1 receiver in the league, where (opponents) coming into football games are worried about him as a receiver and not just as a returner, which he will continue to do for us."
Becoming a No. 1 receiver in the NFL means Hester will have to eliminate the mental gaffes that plagued him this season, when he sometimes lined up in the wrong spot or ran the wrong route due to his unfamiliarity with the offense. The Bears believe an off-season of studying will cure that problem.
"It was his first year playing the position. I think that was a big part of it," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "You can't look into it more than it is. He really handled it well mentally with the things we asked him to do and the things we did in the offense. That's not an issue at all."
Can one off-season of study enable Hester to emerge as a league leader at receiver?
"I'm hoping so," Hester said. "That's what my number one goal is right now -- to be known not only just as a great kickoff returner, but I want to be one of the top receivers, too."