WASHINGTON, D.C. – Devin Hester was two years old the last time Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs debated whether to keep the ball away from an explosive Bears kick returner.

That was back in 1985 when the Bears were just beginning their magical run to Super Bowl XX with a Week 4 showdown against Gibbs and the Redskins at Soldier Field.

Devin Hester has tied the NFL record he set last season with five kick return TDs in 2007.

“I always think back to Wayne Sevier when he was coaching here on special teams,” Gibbs recalled this week. “We were playing the Bears and he said, ‘Hey, we are going to kick right to Willie Gault. We are going to go down and show them. That is the best guy they have and we are going to show them.’

“He ran it back (99) yards. I walked down and I said, ‘OK, that is the end of that. We aren’t going to show them anymore. Find a different way. Kick it to somebody else.’”

Given that experience—coupled with Hester’s remarkable ability—there appears to be little chance of the Redskins kicking the ball to the Bears’ All-Pro tonight at FedEx Field.

After returning a punt 75 yards and a kickoff 88 yards for touchdowns Nov. 25 in an overtime win over the Denver Broncos, Hester ranks fourth in NFL history with 10 kick return TDs in only 28 career games. Record-holder Brian Mitchell scored 13 TDs in 223 games.

“There is nobody in the league that has figured it out,” Gibbs said when asked how to best deal with Hester. “Everybody has tried a little bit of a different game plan at different times. You have seen a little bit of everything.

“I have never seen this before in the NFL, kicking off out of bounds. What an unusual guy. So far it is one of the most unusual things I have seen in the NFL—his presence and the way people try to handle him.”

New and improved: In three and a half games since replacing Brian Griese, Rex Grossman has passed for 897 yards with 3 TDs, 1 interception and an 82.1 passer rating. In the first three games of the season, Grossman passed for 500 yards with 1 TD, 6 interceptions and a 45.2 rating.

“I see a different guy,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “I think he’s more relaxed right now, maybe a little more focused on the job at hand. He did a lot of good things before, there were just some negative plays, and offensively we weren’t playing very well around him. A quarterback is only as good as the people around him, and obviously he made some mistakes that hurt as well.”

Grossman’s only interception in 130 pass attempts in the last three and a half games came on a deep throw down the sideline when Bernard Berrian fell down after bumping into a defender.

“We learn from our mistakes; I think that’s what he’s done,” said cornerback Charles Tillman. “He’s taking more of what teams give to him and he’s trying to be more accurate and more precise. He’s doing a good job of keeping his mistakes down.”

Smart passer: Grossman’s counterpart, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, enters tonight’s game having completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,600 yards with 12 TDs, 11 interceptions and a 77.5 passer rating that ranks 21st in the NFL.

“He’s a very good player,” said defensive coordinator Bob Babich. “He’s a younger guy from an experience standpoint, but an awfully good athlete and throws a good ball. He controls the tempo of the game very well and he’s been very smart with the football.”

Déjà vu: Adam Archuleta returns to Washington in the same situation he found himself in with the Redskins last season: relegated to special teams duty after losing his starting safety job.

Archuleta was replaced by Brandon McGowan prior to last Sunday’s game against the Giants after struggling both in pass coverage and run support. The Bears acquired the seven-year veteran in March in a trade with the Redskins.

“I’m sure Adam’s very disappointed in his play, and we just felt at this time that Brandon would give us a chance to make some plays,” Babich said.