Wide Receiver End Around

Everyone can see how explosive Devin Hester is when he's returning kicks and punts. So naturally the Bears want to get him the ball when the offense is on the field too. But if they only put him in when he's getting the ball, then the defense will know what's up the second he enters the game.

The trick is to work him into a normal series where he runs some routes and makes some blocks until the defense is no longer worried about him exclusively.





That's what the Bears did in their week 5 victory over the Packers. Hester was in for three plays before he got the ball (he's highlighted by a lightly shaded circle in the diagrams). In those three plays, he lined up at wide receiver and ran routes. In the third play he actually made a nice block on a safety to spring Adrian Peterson for a few more yards.

And then on the fourth play, Brian Griese faked a handoff to Cedric Benson, while actually giving the ball to Devin Hester on the end around. It seemed like putting Hester in for the whole series paid off, because all three Packers linebackers fell for the fake run up the middle and were in no position to stop him.

If not for a nice play by the Packers safety who just managed to trip him up, Hester would have been in the end zone.