| WR Devin Hester: Wideouts Been Better than Most Expected by The Sports Exchange of BearReport.com, September 30, 2009 at 9:33am ET Devin Hester Profile No bunch other than rented mules got more abuse than the Bears' wide receivers in the offseason and throughout training camp and the preseason. But that maligned group has put up some pretty impressive numbers through the first three weeks of the season. The improvement over last season has been monumental. The current wide receiving corps has 35 receptions for 514 yards, an average of 11.7 catches per game for 171.3 yards. Last season Bears' wide receivers caught 7.9 passes per game for an average of 105.3 yards. Earl Bennett and Devin Hester are tied for the team lead with 13 receptions. Hester leads the Bears with 187 receiving, while Bennett is second with 168. Rookie Johnny Knox is third on the Bears with 159 receiving yards on nine receptions, and he and Hester are tied for the team lead with two receiving touchdowns. Anyone who still doesn't believe Hester is a bona fide No. 1 receiver hasn't been paying attention. He's had at least four catches in each of the first three games, and on four of his five catches against the Seahawks, Hester made adjustments on balls that were not well thrown. Hester has always had soft hands, elite speed and rare make-you-miss ability. Add his work ethic, which has always been exemplary, plus quarterback Jay Cutler, and you've got the recipe for a 1,000-yard receiver. Cutler was supposed to make Hester and everyone else better, and he has. But Hester has helped make Cutler better, too. It's Hester's time. He's only going to get better, and he's already pretty good. "Devin's a good receiver," offensive coordinator Ron Turner reiterated. "Whenever he's had a chance to make plays this year, he's made them just about every time." The knock that Hester doesn't have good hands is ridiculous. He may misjudge punts and doesn't always use good judgment on when to field the ball and when to let it go, but he is sure-handed and catches punts more effortlessly and naturally than anyone on the team. And catching punts at Soldier Field is a lot tougher than catching passes. Knox also appears to be the real deal, but he won't be able to sneak up on opponents anymore after catching 8 passes for 152 yards in his first two games, playing almost exclusively in three-wide receiver sets. Pretty impressive for a fifth-round draft pick, the 140th overall, which the Bears acquired as a throw-in on the Cutler deal. Knox only had one catch against the Seahawks, but with superior individual effort, he sneaked into the end zone. |
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