Chicago Bears: 5 players whose stock went down after Week 3
By Ryan Heckman
2. K Cairo Santos
Believe it or not, the Bears still have a kicking problem. So far, fill-in starting kicker Cairo Santos is just 4-of-6 on field goals. The kicker is (pun intended), his long is just 35 yards. Thankfully, he hasn’t missed an extra point yet. That would put fans over the ledge with this guy.
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While Eddy Pineiro has been on injured reserve, the thought of having Santos healthy has been a fairly comforting one. At least, it was comforting going into Week 1. Seeing Santos hit every field goal in the Bears’ scrimmage at Soldier Field put fans at ease just a bit.
But, so far, he has been anything but trustworthy. Funny enough, digging into the numbers a little bit, Santos hasn’t been a trustworthy kicker for a while now.
Over the last three seasons, Santos is 9-of-22 on kicks longer than 40 yards. That is absolutely horrific; unacceptable, even. If the Bears are to keep their momentum and playoff hopes alive for this season, Santos is going to have to hit some deeper kicks.
It’s either that, or Pineiro comes back and takes his job with authority — but that’s wishful thinking at its best, quite honestly.
Regardless, the Bears need a kicker who can hit a field goal longer than 35 yards. We know Pineiro has done it recently — and under pressure. His game-winner against Denver last year still feels like yesterday. It was a great moment for the kid, and a moment he needs to relish in when he comes back. The Bears need a confident, capable kicker.