Attempts to turn Devin Hester into a productive receiver with the Bears never quite succeeded as hoped, but the Falcons have seem some rewards from sprinkling the return ace into their offense this preseason.
Hester turned a short reception into a 31-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter of the Falcons’ game against the Titans. The play showed that Hester still has plenty of jets to turn on when given the opportunity and also displayed running back Jacquizz Rodgers’s knack for pass protection, as his block gave Matt Ryan time to deliver the strike to Hester.
Hester also caught a touchdown in last week’s game against the Texans, although that one didn’t come with the first team.
The score capped an efficient 11-play, 79-yard Falcons drive that saw their starting offense convert after being stuck in a hole after a holding penalty by left tackle Jake Matthews in the first-round pick’s first start at the position. He added a false start on the team’s second possession, which followed a quick three-and-out, and Roddy White picked up two offensive pass interference penalties so not all is going smoothly for Atlanta.