Hester has record-breaking night as Bears put away Rams, 42-27
ST. LOUIS (AP) – The dome was rocking with chants of “Let’s Go Bears,” and Chicago’s football team looked right at home in St. Louis. Especially high-stepping rookie Devin Hester.
Hester set an NFL record with his fifth and sixth returns for touchdowns, a 94-yard kickoff runback in the second quarter and a 96-yarder in the final period Monday night. That sparked a 42-27 victory over the Rams.
The NFC North champions (11-2) clinched a bye for the first week of the playoffs as beleaguered quarterback Rex Grossman had a solid effort and the running attack dominated the second half.
But it was Hester who made the thousands of Bears fans who trekked from Chicago rise from their seats.
A second-round draft pick, he also has three punt return touchdowns and ran back a missed field goal 108 yards against the Giants to tie the longest play in NFL history. But he’d returned only six kickoffs all year before his historic romps.
He headed up the middle on the first, then swiftly cut to his left untouched and sped down the sideline, high-stepping like a drum major the last few yards while holding up the football for the raucous Bears fans.
Hester outdid himself in the fourth quarter when it appeared the Rams might try an onside kick. The only Bear standing deep, he went straight up the center of the field, again untouched, and turned around at the Rams 20 looking for pursuers. No one was there.
Hester struggled to find a position in college at Miami, but he’s been a sensation with the ball in his hands on kick returns for the Bears.
Carrying a 14-13 lead into the second half, the Bears outgained the Rams (5-8) 191 yards to 31 in the third quarter. They scored on Thomas Jones’ 30-yard run and Muhsin Muhammad’s superb fingertip catch of a 14-yard pass from Grossman, who probably quieted calls for his benching – particularly from the thousands of fans who outshouted Rams rooters much of the evening.
Grossman was 6-for-19 for 34 yards in a win over Minnesota last week and had thrown six interceptions and no touchdowns in the last two games, but was 13-for-23 for 200 yards and two scores against St. Louis. Aside from the fade pass to Muhammad, he hit Bernard Berrian on a perfect slant pattern for a 34-yard score late in the second period.
“I just played poised and just tried to take what they give me,” Grossman said.
Chicago rushed for just 65 yards against the Rams’ porous run defense in the first half, then Jones gained 58 yards on the Bears’ first series of the second half. That included a 24-yarder featuring a flashy spin move, and the 30-yard sweep down the left side to score.
The Rams did get a 6-yard TD pass by Marc Bulger to Torry Holt midway through the fourth quarter, and a 6-yarder to Steve Jackson with 4:41 left.
Bulger finished 34-for-55 for 356 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Jackson, the NFC leader in yards from scrimmage, gained 139 against Chicago, giving him 1,789 for the season.
Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa broke his right hand in the second quarter. He’s been playing with a broken left hand and a dislocated left elbow that has forced him into a harness. Also, Rams defensive end Leonard Little injured his throat.