Time to break out the BN Bears news copter and park it above Soldier Field:
Eddy Pineiro says he practiced at Soldier Field today. Plans on going back this week. #Bears
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) September 1, 2019
Chicago Bears place-kicker Eddy Piñeiro practiced at Soldier Field on Sunday, and plans on continuing to practice at the team’s home stadium later in the week. This wouldn’t move the needle in most towns, but the Cody Parkey experience wrecked us.
Last year, Parkey talked about the logistical nightmares in getting from Halas Hall to Soldier Field to practice before ultimately doing so in mid-November. I suppose the late-season practice sessions paid some immediate dividends, as Parkey went 3-for-3 in his first game at Soldier Field after taking his practice reps from Lake Forest to downtown Chicago. In fact, Parkey closed the season making 9 of 11 field goals at Soldier Field. An 81.8 percent success rate isn’t awful, but the two misses (one against the Rams in prime-time, the other ended the Bears’ season) were noteworthy.
With that being said, it is good to see Piñeiro take some initiative in getting familiar with the place he will be kicking this season.
As far as I’m concerned, Piñeiro should *ALWAYS* practice at Soldier Field. Kicking in a climate-controlled environment is good for building confidence and I can see where indoor reps could be helpful in creating a repeatable stroke and leg swing. But getting to know what your kicks do in a stadium that happens to be known for being notoriously troublesome for kickers has value, too.