NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears’ kicking game has been making fans uneasy since this site’s inception in 2017. And at the risk of jinxing something that’s going well, I think I’m willing to write that the Bears have a good thing going right now and I’m enjoying it.
That’s because place kicker Cairo Santos was named the NFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance against the Carolina Panthers:
https://twitter.com/chicagobears/status/1318892471208869891?s=21
Santos made all three of his field goal attempts and both extra points in Chicago’s 23-16 win against Carolina. His 55-yarder was a thing of beauty. Not only was it a career-long for Santos, it was the longest a Bears kicker has made since 2017 when Mike Nugent drilled one from way downtown.
You just love to see it:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGiAJ_6AuLM/?igshid=1vscg9nxlaa6o
Every point matters for a Bears offense that isn’t scoring touchdowns right now, so Santos’ efforts are much-appreciated. More than that, all of the points Santos is producing are needed. I’d rather not think about what we’d be talking about today without Santos’ scoring output. So, thanks for that!
Things have been on the upswing for Santos lately. Because after missing kicks in back-to-back games, Santos had made six straight kicks and seven of his last eight. The hot streak has lifted his field goal percentage to 83.3 percent.
What Santos’ surge means for Eddy Piñeiro is still to be determined. Piñeiro has been nursing a groin injury since training camp. And while he has spent the minimum three weeks on Injured Reserve, signs that he is nearing return haven’t popped up. Santos was supposed to be the Bears’ Plan B in 2020. But if this keeps up, the backup plan will have a strong case to stick around longer than anyone expected.
