Are You Ready for Some Football

[Jaguar]

The question with Hester isn't how he compares to Vince Young and Marques Colston and other people who play an entirely unrelated position.

The question is how he compares to other return men. Answer: really, really well. I'm not sure there's any return man who's been better than he is this season, ever. If he got in a car accident tomorrow and never played another down of football, he'd at least still be a candidate for best special teams player ever. Here are his special teams records, without the season even over yet.

Most special teams touchdowns in a season (6)
Most kick return touchdowns in a game (2)
Longest special teams return (108 yards)

He's near to the kick return average record. Hall of Famer Gale Sayers got a ridiculous 37.7 yards per return in 1967. Hester has 35.1 yards per return.

To compare him to another clear Hall of Famer: Deion Sanders has a total of 9 career special teams touchdowns. Hester already has six.

Another comparison: Dante Hall has been the consensus best return man over the last seven years. He has 11 special teams touchdowns his career, to Hester's six.

The difference is that Hall has been returning both kicks and punts for seven years. Hester's been his team's punt returner for 12 games, and he's been the team's kick returner for one.

I think Hester will have the all-time special teams touchdown record by the time he's twenty-five.

[Sava]

The record is 15 I think... Brian Mitchell.

But as it pertains to the Rookie of the Year award (I'm not sure if Hester can be considered an offensive player), Hester has definitely made more of a contribution to the Bears and been more of a factor in winning games than any of those other players. That should be the criteria when looking at such an award. In breaking all those records, Hester has made a huge impact on the Bears season when the offense was struggling. They could easily have lost 3 or 4 more games without some of his returns.

Vince Young will probably get it, and he is certainly a talented player who has made an impact with the Titans this year, but he hasn't had as significant an impact in terms of helping contribute to the success of his team (because his team hasn't had any, essentially) as Hester has.

Maybe I'm looking at this award more from an MVP angle when it might really be more about just an outstanding rookie performance. If that's the case, then Hester should still get it because he's had much more success relative to his position, as Jaguar has pointed out, than Vince Young has.

But in the end, I don't really care. The only trophy I care about is the Super Bowl.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Sava
But as it pertains to the Rookie of the Year award (I'm not sure if Hester can be considered an offensive player), Hester has definitely made more of a contribution to the Bears and been more of a factor in winning games than any of those other players. That should be the criteria when looking at such an award. In breaking all those records, Hester has made a huge impact on the Bears season when the offense was struggling. They could easily have lost 3 or 4 more games without some of his returns.

The Bears would have lost a total of 1 game without Hesters returns. The game that Arizona blew.

On the other hand the Titans would be lucky to win 2 games without Young, based on Collins performance before Young started.

So Young has had a far greater impact.

I know you will bring up starting field position, but really when the Bears offense is on, field position doesn't seem to matter. When the offense isn't on, field position still doesn't seem to matter.

ACK!

[SlowwHand]

Thursday game? I know Cowboys play Saturday night.

[snoopy369]

His return of the missed FG in the NYG game was a momentum changer, as was his KR-td in this last game. I'm not sure we'd have won either without his returns (and note he had 2 TDs in this one, and we won by ... 2 TDs)

[snoopy369]

Thursday is some lousy game ... oh, SF @ SEA.

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by snoopy369
His return of the missed FG in the NYG game was a momentum changer, as was his KR-td in this last game. I'm not sure we'd have won either without his returns (and note he had 2 TDs in this one, and we won by ... 2 TDs)

No, you won by 15 points.

ACK!

[-Jrabbit]

Missed PAT. Still a 2-possession game.

[Dis]

have to hand it to the boys. their new stadium looks pretty cool. Glad I'm not paying for it though.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2695427

[Ned]

Special teams have no rookie of the year award, so Hester is up the creek without a paddle.

If you junk categories, the recent ESPN poll had Young at 28% and Hester at 27%.

If Hester continues his record performance, it would be a shame not to get him an award of some kind. When he is not on special teams, he plays defense. But he's only so-so as a defensive player. Anderson his teammate, though, is the best defensive rookie.

[SlowwHand]

Jerry has been adamant about it being the best.
He got tired of seeing the Ballpark at Arlingon and American Airlines Center on his way to Texas Stadium.

The city's share of the cost is capped at $325 million – an amount that was originally expected to be half the stadium's cost.

Jones is paying the other 675 million.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Personally I'd vote for Marques Colston for Rookie of the Year, but that's just me.

[Ming]

The latest ESPN TOP TEN Power Rankings...

2006 Power Rankings: Week 15
RK (LW) TEAM REC COMMENT
1 (1) Chargers 11-2-0 Have you ever noticed how the first defender that gets to LaDainian Tomlinson almost always misses? Tomlinson and the whole Chargers offense are just in a zone right now.
2 (6) Ravens 10-3-0 The Ravens are starting to look an awful lot like the 2000 team that won the Super Bowl. Great defense and an offense that doesn't make mistakes.
3 (7) Saints 9-4-0 We'd have to give our MVP vote to LaDainian Tomlinson, but it wouldn't be without thinking long and hard about Drew Brees.
4 (4) Bears 11-2-0 That was pretty much the kind of game the Bears need Rex Grossman to play. Make some plays, don't make mistakes and let the defense or special teams do something special.
5 (8) Bengals 8-5-0 Part of winning in the playoffs is being on top of your game when the postseason starts (see the Steelers last season). The Bengals have that look right now.
6 (2) Colts 10-3-0 When you give up 375 yards on the ground you're not a Super Bowl team. If the Colts can't fix their defense it's going to be another early playoff exit.
7 (3) Cowboys 8-5-0 The Cowboys had been on cruise control before getting blown out by the Saints. How will Tony Romo and the team respond to some adversity?
8 (5) Patriots 9-4-0 Sunday's loss to the Dolphins was about as frustrated and confused as you're ever going to see Tom Brady.
9 (10) Jaguars 8-5-0 Maurice Jones-Drew is making all the teams that passed on him because he's only 5-7 look foolish. Maybe he'll never be a 25-carry a game back, but he's a real talent.
10 (9) Seahawks 8-5-0 How about Matt Hasselbeck running down the field Sunday and throwing his body on a fumble? And don't forget, that's a body that has been beat up this season and still isn't right. His teammates will never forget that.

I find it entertaining seeing the "latest flavor of the week" for the NFC. Last week, it was "Dallas is the greatest" and they were ranked third. New Orleans beats them, moves from 7th to 3rd, while Dallas moves from 3rd to7th, and now it's "New Orleans is God"

On the other hand, the Bears win easily, and stay 4th with two less losses than New Orleans... go figure

[SlowwHand]

Cowboys had their collective heads up their ass.
I already predicted 1 more defeat. Saints were it. Now they have to pound Philly.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Ming
The latest ESPN TOP TEN Power Rankings...

3 (7) Saints 9-4-0
4 (4) Bears 11-2-0