Hester a ridiculously fascinating story

When Kyle Orton saw Devin Hester with just one defender lined up against him, and the rest of the defense crowding the line, he changed the play call, took the ball and fired to Hester for 30 yards. It was a perfect combination, where quarterback, receiver, and even the ball all are together as one.

But what page were they on, exactly? What wavelength?

Was that play in the fourth quarter Sunday the outcome of a budding telepathy, the start of one of those special QB-receiver relationships? I don’t think so. It was a simple fade that worked, because the only time Hester is a great receiver is when the playbook in his head says one thing:
Run like hell.

Well, that worked for big plays twice, as the Bears beat Jacksonville 23-10 at Soldier Field to stay one game behind Minnesota for first place.
People will remember those two plays, and also Hester’s decent punt return, when he nearly, finally, almost broke one for a touchdown. Instead, he stepped out of bounds for no reason.

But what I remember best was a play late in the third quarter, when Orton threw quickly to Hester along the sideline, who seemed baffled by the idea that the ball might be coming at all. Or where he was on the field. Or what his route was.

‘‘You’re wrong about that,’’ Hester said. ‘‘I didn’t run any wrong routes today.’’

Hester is the biggest mystery on this team, also the most fascinating. Never has someone been so dominant for two years and then appeared so clueless the next. He has gone from the best return man in history to one of the worst in the league. Have you ever seen anyone lose 5 yards on a fair catch? Hester did it Sunday.

He dropped two punt returns and two passes, stepped out of bounds on his one good return. And of course, he has lost the job of returning kickoffs.

You still can’t take your eyes off of him because of what might happen. But what he’s doing is too painful to watch.

The problem now, though, is his receiving. You’ve heard the talk that he might have lost his hunger because the Bears gave him the big contract. That’s not it. The problem is that Hester ran free as a returner. He ran like hell. As a receiver, he’s supposed to run routes.

The Bears have coached the abandon out of him.

Someone asked him if he would be willing to give up receiving and focus again solely on returns. Hester said, ‘‘Whatever the coaches feel. ... I’m just trying to win ballgames.’’

But that won’t help anymore. The Bears need him to develop as a receiver, but despite his big plays, there is little evidence that he’s learning.
Marty Booker, a receiver who has been around for a while, disagrees.

‘‘When you’re playing in your first year [as a receiver] it’s tough to grasp and adjust,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s what’s expected. Each time, he’s getting better. As of this point, he’s a good go-to guy.’’

Booker could barely breathe, by the way. When the TV cameras were there, he stood smiled and said how nice it was to play Sunday. When they left, his voice kept dropping down to a loud, gravelly whisper, as he sat back down in front of his locker. When he put on his socks, he half-groaned, half screamed.

‘‘My ribs,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ve broken them before. I don’t know for sure if I broke them this time. But it’s going to really be bad tonight. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to sleep tonight.’’

Let’s see. Booker might have broken ribs. Rookie Earl Bennett, for god knows what reason, apparently is unusable. Brandon Lloyd, same thing. Rashied Davis, mediocre at best.

The Bears need Hester.

The entire offense can’t rely solely on the rushing and catching of running back Matt Forte — ‘‘He has probably taken years off his career,’’ Booker said — two good tight ends and a stable quarterback.

It has so far, I guess. And Orton tries to spread the ball to several receivers. But the Bears need at least one good one to stretch the field and confuse defenses a little, especially if they hope to not only get to the playoffs, but to do something when they’re there.

‘‘Sometimes you catch `em, sometimes you drop ’em,’’ Orton said when asked about Hester. ‘‘Sometimes you throw a good ball, sometimes you don’t.’’

Something about the Bears’ offense reminds me of my dog, who has torn the ACL, the main knee ligament, in both back legs. I’m not sure what she’s walking on, exactly, but she does seem to manage to keep moving forward.

Well, the Orton-Hester telepathy is not exactly Montana-Rice, but it’s all the Bears have now. Hester said he and Orton talk all the time during games and practices about coverages and what the safeties are doing.

‘‘The more repetitions you get, just like anything in life, the more relaxed and comfortable you are with it,’’ he said.

Maybe he’s learning, and someday will know all the nuances and have a special connection with Orton. But all he has now, all Orton gets out of him, is iffy concentration and an amazing ability to run like you know what.

(suntimes.com)