WHAT DO YOU DO WITH............................ ???

[Bretsky]

HESTER


Do you even entertain kicking to him ?
Do you pooch the kicks and boot the punts out of bounce ?

Let's not forget key plays in how we lost to the Bears. Hester nearly took one to the house and he did take one to the house a second time. He's the best in the business......heck probably the best return man ever.....and to be nice we have a poor coach on ST and probably subpar talent.

This guy is a touchdown time bomb who can change games. Perhaps we lose field position by not giving him a shot but at least we don't give up a TD

This decision could be important for Sunday's outcome

Do you give our special teams a chance to shine or just admit defeat, in a sense, and not even try to stop him

Do you give Hester the chance to beat us a second time in one year ?

Chime in Rats

[vince]

Keep the ball away from Hester. Punt to the sidelines and pooch the kickoffs. You do that with anyone's coverage teams, but with the Packers' it's a no-brainer.

[mraynrand]

line drive kickoffs out the back of the endzone (OK, that won't work with a cold ball - angle to the sideline and hope it doesn't go out of bounds or pop up and stop the O-lineman for chrissakes!). On punts - well, never punt!

[red]

kick the ball out of bounds and let the bears start at the 40.

i watched the bears game yesterday and every time hester touched the ball on a kickoff he almost broke it

we can't let their special teams beat us, and frankly, i think that would be the only way we lose

[Fritz]

I'm scared, Adrienne! I'm scared!

[vince]

I'm scared to see them kick the ball to Olin Kruetz much less Hester.

[Guiness]

line drive kickoffs out the back of the endzone (OK, that won't work with a cold ball - angle to the sideline and hope it doesn't go out of bounds or pop up and stop the O-lineman for chrissakes!). On punts - well, never punt!

I am very, very against popping up to a lineman. If Kreutz breaks Connoly's record, I will puke.

[Fosco33]

If you look at the average starting field position (by kicking away) in week 1 - it killed the Pack. It felt like the Bears were starting from their 40 every time. Twice we let them start at their 40 yard line on kickoffs (not involving Hester).

If we kick away - we'll have to be fine with shorter punts out of bounds - giving up 10-15 yards a pop on possible field position.

Our starting field position sucked...
1st half - 40 (from a missed FG), 10, 7, 18, 42 (at half) - ignoring the missed FG and late kick and the Pack was pinned back 4 times
2nd half - 15, 1, 28, 26 - again pinned inside the 30 (and when we got the turnover on downs at the 1 we punted to Hester for his TD return).

[Cheesehead Craig]

Doesn't matter, with Bigby on kick coverage, he'll just blast Hester out of the game with one of his patented big hits.

[vince]

Completely out of character, Bigby re-aggravated his hammy and probably won't play next week. Corey Hall, the other guy who seems to be able to tackle on special teams, also re-injured his knee.

[Fosco33]

Completely out of character, Bigby re-aggravated his hammy and probably won't play next week. Corey Hall, the other guy who seems to be able to tackle on special teams, also re-injured his knee.

I'd like to see our starters out there tackling on special teams.

[mmmdk]

Squibby says: "Squib it boy, squib it good...time out for fun!"

[AtlPackFan]

Onside kicks and make sure you recover them all and as mraynrand said, don't punt.

Hell, I don't know. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. I guess I would agree with Vince's idea....pooch the kickoff and punt out of bounds.

[Smidgeon]

kick the ball out of bounds and let the bears start at the 40.

i watched the bears game yesterday and every time hester touched the ball on a kickoff he almost broke it

we can't let their special teams beat us, and frankly, i think that would be the only way we lose

Or if the refs call another 18-3 penalty game...

[Bossman641]

Jets and Bears had a cat and mouse game going yesterday. On kickoffs, the Jets were kicking short to keep it away from Hester. The Bears then put Knox and Manning as the upman to try and take advantage of this. Jets responded by kicking deep, thinking the blocking wouldn't be as good since the speedsters were up there. Hester still burned them.

I think we need to kick it short and pop it up to try and keep it away from him, even if it means Bears consistently starting at the 30-35.

[denverYooper]

Keep it away from him.

[red]

can you opt to do a free kick on a kickoff. like what you do after a saftey?

i'd rather see a high pop up as opposed to a squib

[Freak Out]

Don't kick to the fucker...punt it out of bounds and kick line drives or knuckle balls on kickoff.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Here's a nice bit about directional punting that Peter King put up. It's from Chris (Warcraft) Kluwe from the Vikes.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/peter_king/12/26/week-16/1.html

[Scott Campbell]

I'd like to score 45 again so that it doesn't matter.

[Guiness]

Good article, and response (from a guy, admitedly, who bitched about playing outside).

We all take it for granted that the punter should be able to put it out of bounds, 30+ yards down the field every time. Not so easy, apparently.

I agree with him. I've got a good boot, and can pretty consistently drop kick a soccer ball where I want it near mid-field. But, maybe one time in 20, particularly near the end of the game if I'm getting tired, and my foot is sore, one of my fullbacks is scrambling for it!

[bobblehead]

HESTER

Perhaps we lose field position by not giving him a shot but at least we don't give up a TD



Your thinking like MM here. Truth is you GAIN field position by not giving him a shot. You would only lose position if you think he can't return it to where you are "giving up" field position.

bobbleheads strategy is 1) Never punt, if you must, go for it on 4th 2) Onside kick every kick, you are bound to recover one, and if you kick away hester is bound to return one. Net, one possession extra and one less score against for the loss of field position.

I expect to be getting a call from TT after he reads my brilliance.

[RashanGary]

Do this to Hester. Cutler too, while they're at it.



http://www.deadspin.com/assets/resources/2007/01/downgoesrex.jpg

[red]

i think cutler would enjoy that too much

[denverYooper]

Adam Schefter:


If Devin Hester's 17.1 punt return average holds, he will register highest punt return avg in a season in NFL history (minimum 30 returns).

[MichiganPackerFan]

The first think is to make sure the officials are aware of the holds and blocks in the back that get him open. They seem to completely close their eyes on his returns. He's seriously not as good as he was a few years back: he's just getting the calls from the officials like the rest of the overrated team is.

[bobblehead]

The first think is to make sure the officials are aware of the holds and blocks in the back that get him open. They seem to completely close their eyes on his returns. He's seriously not as good as he was a few years back: he's just getting the calls from the officials like the rest of the overrated team is.

I party agree with you. The 3 bears games I have watched where he was awesom in all 3, I saw several marginal blocks in the back that we would have gotten called for.

[pbmax]

Your thinking like MM here. Truth is you GAIN field position by not giving him a shot. You would only lose position if you think he can't return it to where you are "giving up" field position.

bobbleheads strategy is 1) Never punt, if you must, go for it on 4th 2) Onside kick every kick, you are bound to recover one, and if you kick away hester is bound to return one. Net, one possession extra and one less score against for the loss of field position.

I expect to be getting a call from TT after he reads my brilliance.

There is some wisdom in your insanity. Teams should go for it on 4th down more often. But onside kicks have a low chance of recovery. Kick the punt out of bounds for 35 yards if you have to and skyrocket the kickoff or send it on a line through the back of the endzone if wind conditions permit.