ALAMEDA, Calif. — Almost 11 months ago, then-Raiders coach Lane Kiffin did the unthinkable. He announced to the sporting world that the Raiders would kick to Chicago Bears return specialist Devin Hester.

Only someone taking the Bears and the points would make such an outlandish proclamation, some said. Others theorized that Kiffin was just blowing smoke.

After all, putting the ball in the hands of Hester on punt and kickoff returns is akin to flicking matches at a gasoline tanker. Sooner or later, it's going to blow up in your face.

Sure enough, the Raiders kicked to Hester every time ... and walked away unscathed.

Hester netted only 14 yards on six punt returns and 34 yards on two kick returns. He entered the game averaging 19.6 yards on punt returns and 23.5 on kick returns.

On Sunday, the Raiders face a New Orleans Saints team fresh from a game in which Reggie Bush returned two punts for touchdowns and amassed 176 yards on three punt returns. His 29-yard average is almost twice that of runner-up Roscoe Parrish of the Buffalo Bills among those who've averaged more than one punt return per game.

"It's second nature," Bush said. "I expect to make plays like that when I get a chance. So, as long as those opportunities keep coming, I'm going to continue to make plays."

Kiffin isn't around anymore to stoke the fire. So, we turn to Raiders special teams coach Brian Schneider, the architect of the coverage schemes that stymied Hester at every turn.

"No grand proclamation anywhere," Schneider said, with a laugh. "You ain't getting anything out of me, that's for sure."

If Schneider has his way, the Saints won't get much out of Bush, either.

Saying that is one thing. Executing it is another, as the Minnesota Vikings found out against the Saints on Monday night.

Saints coach Sean Payton said he instructed his punter to punt out of bounds against Hester in a game last season, only to see Hester return the punt for a touchdown.

"We were supposed to kick it out of bounds and we weren't able to do that," Payton said in a conference call. "It must be harder to punt it out of bounds than you and (others) might think because we kicked it to Hester, and he returned it for a touchdown."

The problem with attempting to punt out of bounds, Payton said, is the punter becomes susceptible to having the ball slide off the side of his kicking foot and travel a short distance.

To that end, Schneider said, Raiders punter Shane Lechler will rely upon his ability to kick the ball higher than normal, sacrificing yardage for a fair catch and no return, as well as angling his punts toward one side of the field so that the coverage team can pin Bush against a sideline.

"We're going to try to not give him the ball," Schneider said, "and we're preparing that, if he gets the ball, we have to be ready to tackle him. So, hopefully, he has no punt returns."

Isaiah Ekejiuba is one of Oakland's marquee coverage men on punts and kickoffs. He said there comes a time when you have to kick to someone like Bush for fear of messing with the defenders' confidence.

Just the same, he added, you have to know when it's prudent to capitulate and try something else.

"When you watch somebody like that, who has the ability to change the game, it focuses a team because you've seen what he can do," Ekejiuba said. "The whole world has seen what he can do. Everybody watches 'Monday Night Football.' "Now, you're the next team that's coming in and there's going to be a lot of talk about Reggie Bush and what he brings to the table, which is a lot. You don't want to be the next team that's on Reggie Bush's highlight."