[CBFF] ESPN - Hester, Bears' offense stepping to the fore

[Jerry Madsen]

Have a cup of blue-n-orange kool-aid on me...

Jerry

----------------------------

Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Hester, Bears' offense stepping to the fore
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- As I walked out of the buzzing, over-crowded
football stadium at Olivet Nazarene University on Saturday night, I
looked to the clear, star-lit skies and said to "Papa Bear" George
Halas, "Forgive me for what I am about to do."

I came to the Bears training camp and I'm writing offense. That's
right, offense. Bears football is usually all about defense. It's the
franchise of Dick Butkus, Buddy Ryan and Brian Urlacher. In terms of
Bears history, the offense is usually designed to stay on the field
long enough to give defenders enough of a breather to make the next
big play.

This summer, however, the Monsters of the Midway have electrified fans
with their offense. And it's more than just a revitalized Cedric
Benson splitting the middle of the Bears' defense with a fast run up
the gut. Devin Hester, the pinball whiz on returns and converted
defensive back, is wowing Bears fans and burning defenders with his
pass-catching skills at wideout. Rookie tight end Greg Olsen is
stretching the field and catching everything within grasp. Tiny
halfback Garrett Wolfe (5-foot-7, 177 pounds) looks like he's on
fast-forward on sweeps and short passes in the flat.

So far, Chicago's offense has been the best thrill ride in the summer
tour of training camps.

"We're hoping to get some playmakers out there," offensive coordinator
Ron Turner said. "We've got some guys who are willing to make some
plays."

The story of camp is Hester. Bears beat writer John Mullin officially
named the 2007 camp, "The Devin Hester Experience." Watching him run
routes is like listening to old Jimi Hendrix records -- explosive,
exciting and unpredictable. Any fan would love to hang from the
"Watchtower" to see the show.

In 2006, Hester was the underground candidate for offensive rookie of
the year by returning six kicks for touchdowns, including a kickoff
for a score on the opening play of the Super Bowl. Turner and the
team's other offensive coaches had been plotting to bring Hester's
play-making skills to the offense. Their thought was Hester would be a
natural for catching balls out of the backfield or as a receiver. In
the spring, Hester caught just about every pass thrown his way.

"I started playing football when I was 4 years old, and I played wide
receiver, quarterback and defensive back," Hester said. "God blessed
me with the talent to catch the ball. When I had pickup games I would
play quarterback and wide receiver. I'd do a quarterback sneak and
just run the ball."

	Devin Hester
Devin Hester, left, has been one of the biggest crowd pleasers at
Bears training camp.

Now, the experiment is over. Hester is a receiver. Turner says that
Hester will be on the field offense more than the five or six plays a
game he logged last season. Hester predicts about 30 plays; however,
there is one problem. He is so valuable as a returner that the team
can't afford to see Hester get hurt on offense. Coaches will have to
find the right balance in order to keep him fresh and healthy for the
entire season.

Hester is just an incredible athlete. For his size and position, Olsen
isn't too shabby either. The rookie tight end had the crowd going
crazy when he angled his body to the ground and made a remarkable
catch before it hit the grass. As Olsen came back toward the huddle,
Hester, who is 5-foot-11, soared into the night sky to do the highest
of high fives with the 6-foot-5 Olsen.

Things, however, got a little carried away Sunday. Hester jacked up
the crowd and played more inspired football after each catch. Fans
motivated him to do too much. Before long, Hester started to drop a
few passes. Coaches, sensing something wrong, found he was a little
dehydrated and gave him some extra rest.

Wolfe, meanwhile, brings a Dave Meggett-type option to the offense. He
catches the ball well and is quick. Each day in practice, the Bears
unveil new packages to showcase the increased speed and athleticism to
their offense. Sometimes, they will go with two tight ends Desmond
Clark and Olsen, who is second only to Vernon Davis as the league's
fastest tight end. And while all this is going on, Bernard Berrian --
developing as the team's No. 1 wide receiver option -- is burning
cornerbacks with his speed on crossing routes and long passes.

All of the sudden, the Bears, who usually look as slow and methodical
as a Big Ten offense, have speed and lighting-like scoring ability.

"We've just added another dimension to an offense that already knows
the system so well and advanced it a little bit," quarterback Rex
Grossman said. "Bernard Berrian is going to take another jump this
year, and he's a mismatch for a lot of corners in this league. He's a
relatively and unknown guy. ... He won't be after this year."

Things have been so electrifying that some of the fan gloom about
Grossman as the team's starting quarterback is brightening up.
Grossman looks much improved from last season. With more weapons to
work with, the goal is to get Grossman's completion rate to 60
percent.

It is clear in camp that Grossman -- a 54 percent career passer -- has
devoted a lot of time to improving his game, so that 60 percent
completion rate should be attainable.

First, Grossman has more weapons to use. Berrian has 70-catch,
1,000-yard potential. Clark is a 45-to-50-catch tight end.

Second, from his study of game film, Grossman found ways to be more
defined with his throwing fundamentals when his first two receiving
options are covered. One of Grossman's strengths last season was being
defined in his throwing motion and setup on his first two reads. But
if they were covered, Grossman looked lost and his feet were
everywhere.

Bears coaches do a great job fixing fundamental problems. Lovie Smith
hired Pep Hamilton from the Jets as quarterbacks coach. If there is
any idle time at practice, he'll take quarterbacks to a field and work
with fundamentals. Hamilton studies every Grossman throw and offers
immediate suggestions to repair small technical flaws.

Those suggestions have helped with Grossman's accuracy.

Despite going to the Super Bowl, Grossman had a tough time last year.
Fans wanted him benched. Critics around the country called for Brian
Griese to replace him. At press conferences, Grossman seemed
increasingly uncomfortable and defensive. Folks were out to get him.

Teammates and coaches totally supported Grossman. Smith never gave
much thought to benching him. Turner worked hard to keep Grossman's
head in the game.

"We are [a] fully loaded offensive team," Grossman said. "It's a
veteran offensive line and a good running back. Last year, we went
from 29th in the league to 15th. Hopefully, we crack the top five or
top eight."

Turner, meanwhile, is opening up the playbook. He's considering
incorporating some shotgun formations and running no-huddle series.
He's even asking Grossman to run a little more. Last year, Grossman
ran only 24 times. He gained 2 yards.

Now, the coaches want Grossman to run a little bit -- even if it's
only three or four yards. Grossman can now look around and get the
ball to speedier players.

There's something different about these Bears.

John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.