Finley88Beast
14 years ago
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81dc76ab/article/packers-plan-a-new-way-to-stop-bears-hester-dont-punt 

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers have devised and tested the ideal solution to stopping dangerous punt returners such as the Chicago Bears' Devin Hester.

Just don't punt.

It worked perfectly in their playoff rout of the Atlanta Falcons.

Thanks to a dominant performance by the Packers offense, punter Tim Masthay wasn't called into action against the Falcons in the divisional playoffs. That doesn't seem likely to happen again in Sunday's NFC Championship Game in Chicago, especially against a tough Bears defense.



That means the Packers' special teams once again will have their hands full with Hester, the NFL's career leader in combined punt and kick returns for touchdowns with 14.

From one punt returner to another, Green Bay's Tramon Williams is impressed.

"Natural ability," he said. "From watching film, everything he does is great. He has the vision and the ability, everything. ... Coach said he's the best ever, so I feel the same way."

Indeed, Packers coach Mike McCarthy called Hester the "best player on their football team" before playing the Bears in the regular season finale -- a significant statement, given the fact that defensive end Julius Peppers and linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs anchor the Bears' defense.

The Packers allowed Hester to break free for a 62-yard touchdown on a punt return during the teams' first meeting, a 20-17 Bears victory in Chicago on Sept. 27.

But the Packers did a much better job bottling Hester up in the teams' second meeting of the season, allowing Hester only two punt returns for 35 yards in a 10-3 Packers victory at Lambeau Field that allowed the Packers to clinch a playoff spot.

McCarthy said the Packers' improved effort was a combination of good ball placement by Masthay -- who has improved after a shaky start to the season -- and good coverage by the special teams.

Watch NFL Playoff games online and in HD with NFL Game Rewind. Sign up now to get full access to the Postseason archives.

"Our special teams played extremely well in that football game," McCarthy said. "And that will be a big part of going into Soldier Field and being successful."

But one blown assignment or sloppy arm tackle on Sunday, and Hester could make a momentum-changing return.

"He's right at the top of the list, I would say," Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk said. "For sure. He can do everything. Once he gets the ball in his hands, he's tough to stop."

Hawk said Hester is at his most dangerous when he's not dancing around.

"When he gets the ball, he might make a few moves, make the first guy miss," Hawk said. "He gets vertical quick. When a guy does that -- as you've seen against us, he got one earlier this year on us -- they can crease you pretty quick and he can get in the end zone fast."

And the Packers have some coverage concerns on special teams after allowing a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Atlanta's Eric Weems.

"Frankly, the kickoff return was a combination of ball placement and coverage," McCarthy said. "And that's the reason why you practice those things and you have different types of calls. And so that's something I'm sure Chicago will be taking a close look at. We've been playing very well on special teams but can't let it happen this week."



The Bears have one of the best special teams units in football, coached by Dave Toub.

In addition to Hester's ability to return punts, Hester and Danieal Manning are dangerous on kickoff returns, while punter Brad Maynard showed Sunday that he can control field position -- playing perfectly into the hands of a Bears defense that tries to make opposing offenses drive the length of the field, hoping to force them into a negative play or turnover along the way.

"Their specialists are obviously very talented," McCarthy said. "The returners are very talented. So they factor in the field position in the game. There's going to be some type of wind, there always is down there. (It's) projected only about nine to 10 miles an hour, but we'll see what happens on Sunday. Special teams is clearly one of the strengths of their football team."

Hester, meanwhile, is so good that he even can get a laugh out of typically buttoned-down Bears coach Lovie Smith, who was asked recently to imagine trying to prepare for him instead of preparing with him.

"I definitely like being on the team with a guy like Devin Hester," Smith said, laughing. "I can see how opposing coaches would feel trying to figure out what to do with him, whether to kick it to him. Eventually, you have to kick it to him. I just don't see how you can go an entire game without it."


A Quote from my brother Mike(Bears Fan)
"Fucking Greg Jennings"
After he makes a catch
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
14 years ago
no punts because GB scores everytime. I like it.
UserPostedImage
Finley88Beast
14 years ago
I'm surprised their wasn't more discussion about this.I thought it was an interesting article.
A Quote from my brother Mike(Bears Fan)
"Fucking Greg Jennings"
After he makes a catch
wpr
  • wpr
  • Preferred Member
14 years ago
It is. It is an information overload this week. (I can't wait until we get to do it again next week.) There are so many good threads. Hard to go into depth on them all.
UserPostedImage
peteralan71
14 years ago
The Packers need to focus on -- when we will eventually need to punt -- directional kicking and skying the ball if we are not kicking out of our own endzone, and simply not giving him the opportunity to even move the ball upfield. With a guy like Hester, it's better to give up 15 yards of punting to make sure that he calls a fair catch than to gamble on our ST guys tackling him within 5 yards of the return.
Green Bay: Home of the Green & Gold. And the hunter orange. And the camouflage.
UserPostedImage
Dexter_Sinister
14 years ago
Masthay did a fine job last time we played the Bears. If he kicks that well again, we will be fine.

I would rather score every possession though.
I want to go out like my Grandpa did. Peacefully in his sleep.
Not screaming in terror like his passengers.
yooperfan
14 years ago
Masthay has grown into a fine punter over the course of the season.
I would love it if he didn't have to punt again this week but I think the chances of that are slim.
I think he will do well if called upon and he won't cost the Packers this game should things go south.
Fan Shout
dfosterf (23h) : Make sure to send my props to him! A plus move!
Zero2Cool (3-Jul) : My cousin, yes.
dfosterf (3-Jul) : That was your brother the GB press gazette referenced with the red cross draft props thing, yes?
Zero2Cool (2-Jul) : Packers gonna unveil new throwback helmet in few weeks.
Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : I know it's Kleiman but this stuff writes itself
Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : "Make sure she signs the NDA before asking for a Happy Ending!"
Mucky Tundra (2-Jul) : @NFL_DovKleiman Powerful: Deshaun Watson is taking Shedeur Sanders 'under his wing' as a mentor to the Browns QBs
Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Dolphins get (back) Minkah Fitzpatrick in trade
Zero2Cool (30-Jun) : Steelers land Jalen Ramsey via Trade
dfosterf (26-Jun) : I think it would be great to have someone like Tom Grossi or Andy Herman on the Board of Directors so he/they could inform us
dfosterf (26-Jun) : Fair enough, WPR. Thing is, I have been a long time advocate to at least have some inkling of the dynamics within the board.
wpr (26-Jun) : 1st world owners/stockholders problems dfosterf.
Martha Careful (25-Jun) : I would have otherwise admirably served
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Also, no more provision for a write-in candidate, so Martha is off the table at least for this year
dfosterf (25-Jun) : You do have to interpret the boring fine print, but all stockholders all see he is on the ballot
dfosterf (25-Jun) : It also says he is subject to another ballot in 2028. I recall nothing of this nature with Murphy
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy is on my ballot subject to me penciling him in as a no.
dfosterf (25-Jun) : I thought it used to be we voted for the whatever they called the 45, and then they voted for the seven, and then they voted for Mark Murphy
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Because I was too lazy to change my address, I haven't voted fot years until this year
dfosterf (25-Jun) : of the folks that run this team. I do not recall Mark Murphy being subject to our vote.
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Ed Policy yay or nay is on the pre-approved ballot that we always approve because we are uninformed and lazy, along with all the rest
dfosterf (25-Jun) : Weird question. Very esoteric. For stockholders. Also lengthy. Sorry. Offseason.
Zero2Cool (25-Jun) : Maybe wicked wind chill made it worse?
Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : And then he signs with Cleveland in the offseason
Mucky Tundra (25-Jun) : @SharpFootball WR Diontae Johnson just admitted he refused to enter a game in 41° weather last year in Baltimore because he felt “ice cold”
Zero2Cool (24-Jun) : Yawn. Rodgers says he is "pretty sure" this be final season.
Zero2Cool (23-Jun) : PFT claims Packers are having extension talks with Zach Tom, Quay Walker.
Mucky Tundra (20-Jun) : GB-Minnesota 2004 Wild Card game popped up on my YouTube page....UGH
beast (20-Jun) : Hmm 🤔 re-signing Walker before Tom? Sounds highly questionable to me.
Mucky Tundra (19-Jun) : One person on Twitter=cannon law
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Well, to ONE person on Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : According to Tweeter
Zero2Cool (19-Jun) : Packers are working on extension for LT Walker they hope to have done before camp
dfosterf (18-Jun) : E4B landed at Andrews last night
dfosterf (18-Jun) : 101 in a 60
dfosterf (18-Jun) : FAFO
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : one year $4m with incentives to make it up to $6m
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Or Lions
dfosterf (18-Jun) : Beats the hell out of a Vikings signing
Zero2Cool (18-Jun) : Baltimore Ravens now have signed former Packers CB Jaire Alexander.
dfosterf (14-Jun) : TWO magnificent strikes for touchdowns. Lose the pennstate semigeezer non nfl backup
dfosterf (14-Jun) : There was minicamp Thursday. My man Taylor Engersma threw
dfosterf (11-Jun) : There will be a mini camp practice Thursday.
Zero2Cool (11-Jun) : He's been sporting a ring for a while now. It's probably Madonna.
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : We only do the tea before whoopee, it relaxes me.
wpr (10-Jun) : That's awesome Martha.
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : How's the ayahuasca tea he makes, Martha?
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : Turns out he like older women
Martha Careful (10-Jun) : I wasn't supposed to say anything, but yes the word is out and we are happy 😂😂😂
Mucky Tundra (10-Jun) : I might be late on this but Aaron Rodgers is now married
Please sign in to use Fan Shout
2025 Packers Schedule
Sunday, Sep 7 @ 3:25 PM
LIONS
Thursday, Sep 11 @ 7:15 PM
COMMANDERS
Sunday, Sep 21 @ 12:00 PM
Browns
Sunday, Sep 28 @ 7:20 PM
Cowboys
Sunday, Oct 12 @ 3:25 PM
BENGALS
Sunday, Oct 19 @ 3:25 PM
Cardinals
Sunday, Oct 26 @ 7:20 PM
Steelers
Sunday, Nov 2 @ 12:00 PM
PANTHERS
Monday, Nov 10 @ 7:15 PM
EAGLES
Sunday, Nov 16 @ 12:00 PM
Giants
Sunday, Nov 23 @ 12:00 PM
VIKINGS
Thursday, Nov 27 @ 12:00 PM
Lions
Sunday, Dec 7 @ 12:00 PM
BEARS
Sunday, Dec 14 @ 3:25 PM
Broncos
Friday, Dec 19 @ 11:00 PM
Bears
Friday, Dec 26 @ 11:00 PM
RAVENS
Saturday, Jan 3 @ 11:00 PM
Vikings
Recent Topics
3h / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

2-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

2-Jul / Fantasy Sports Talk / dfosterf

1-Jul / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

29-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Zero2Cool

25-Jun / Around The NFL / Martha Careful

23-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / Mucky Tundra

20-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / wpr

20-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

20-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / beast

18-Jun / Random Babble / Zero2Cool

16-Jun / Green Bay Packers Talk / dfosterf

15-Jun / Random Babble / Martha Careful

14-Jun / Around The NFL / beast

14-Jun / Community Welcome! / dfosterf

Headlines
Copyright © 2006 - 2025 PackersHome.com™. All Rights Reserved.