Vikings’ 105-yard kickoff return a reminder of how good Dave Toub was for Bears
BY MARK POTASH Staff Reporter September 17, 2013 9:44PM
Dave Toub, Special Teams Coordinator, Chicago Bears -- Longtime Bears assistant has distinguished himself as one of the best in his area of expertise. Earned an interview for Dolphins head coaching vacancy last offseason. Would be a long shot.
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Updated: September 17, 2013 9:47PM
Through two games, the Bears’ special teams have been excellent under coordinator Joe DeCamillis. But on a day when Devin Hester averaged 49.8 yards per kickoff return against the Vikings, Cordarrelle Patterson’s 105-yard kickoff return for a TD was a reminder of how good they were under Dave Toub.
Patterson’s return was the first deep kickoff returned for a touchdown against the Bears since before the Lovie Smith/Toub era — the Lions’ Reggie Swinton returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in 2003.
The only kickoff returned for a touchdown under Toub was a fluke — the Lions’ Casey FitzSimmons returned an onside kick 41 yards to seal a 37-27 victory over the Bears in 2007.
In Toub’s nine seasons as special-teams coordinator, the Bears led the NFL in kick-return touchdowns (22) and tied the Packers for the fewest kick-return touchdowns allowed (three).
Last season, the Bears were fourth in the NFL in kickoff coverage at 20.7 yards per return.
