In third year, Hester emerges as solid No. 2 receiver

Three years.

That's generally how long it takes many receivers in the NFL to get accustomed to the nuances of navigating their way through an opposing secondary.

Where should they sit down in a zone? When should they break off a route? When should they run a "hot" route when the blitz is coming? And on and on.

Now midway through his third season as a receiver for the Bears, Devin Hester has clearly matured into a top-notch receiving threat. With 41 catches for 548 yards and 3 TDs, the former superhuman return man has nearly eclipsed his numbers from all of last season (51-665-3).

I asked him after a Week 14 victory over Jacksonville last season if things were slowing down for him at all.

"(Before) when you'd go out to play, you've just got too much on your mind," said Hester, who had 5 catches and 80 yards in that win over the Jaguars. "You're second-guessing yourself all the time. Now you've just got a free mind and you're just playing ball."

It's clear that Jay Cutler trusts Hester and will continue to feed him the ball, which is all fantasy owners want. For us, in this game, he's gone from a high-risk player to a reliable second receiver. Hester is averaging 89.8 yards the last four weeks and should continue to post numbers like that the rest of the way. Those of you who took him, congrats on taking the chance.



(dailyherald.com)