Hester points finger at himself

Even though the Bears are No. 4 in average starting position after kickoffs (29.3-yard line) because opponents routinely kick the ball short to avoid Devin Hester, the Bears' Pro Bowl return specialist is taking the blame for the team ranking 19th in kickoff-return average and just 29th in punt-return average.

"I've kind of put all the pressure on myself, and I say that it is kind of my fault that the return game is not the way it was," said Hester, who is averaging just 5.4 yards per punt return. "I put all the pressure on me because, at the end of the day, I'm the one with the ball in my hands, and I've got to be the one to figure it out and pick up the slack.

"If something breaks down, that's why they rely on me to spark the return game. I've got to be the one to step up and make big plays."

Hester had 11 kick-return touchdowns in his first two seasons but has none so far this season. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub believes opponents still respect Hester's return ability as much as ever, so he has to prepare for when they kick to him and when they try to avoid him. He understands why Hester feels responsible for the drop-off in the return game.

"He's a competitor," Toub said. "He's holding himself accountable, which we want all of our players to do."

Bears coach Lovie Smith said it's been difficult for Hester to keep up the NFL-record pace he established in his first two seasons.

"We had never seen anything like it before," Smith said. "And now, after seven games, he hasn't scored, and we're kind of wondering what's going on. But there is a lot of football left. We need Devin, just like the rest of our players to step up, and he will."

Injury update: Even after an off week, defensive tackle Tommie Harris did not practice Wednesday, and six players were limited in their workload: cornerbacks Charles Tillman (shoulder), and Nate Vasher (wrist), wide receivers Brandon Lloyd (knee) and Marty Booker (knee), linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) and safety Danieal Manning (hamstring).

Hillenmeyer practiced with a bulky cast protecting his thumb, which required surgery last week. He has not been ruled out for Sunday's game, but he missed the final three games in 2005 with a similar injury, although he said that injury "felt a lot worse."

Hillenmeyer isn't sure exactly when the injury occurred early in the Vikings game on Oct. 19.

"I think it was in the very beginning of the game on that reverse to Adrian Peterson, but I really don't know," said Hillenmeyer, who had a season-high 9 tackles in the game. "It didn't really hurt that bad."

Coach Lovie Smith said Harris would practice today.