Chicago Bears fans have not been overwhelmingly pleased with veteran kicker Cairo Santos, who has had his struggles this season. Santos missed two games due to injury, which allowed the fanbase to get a look at Jake Moody, who exceeded expectations.
Not to mention, the recently turned 34-year-old Santos doesn’t have the strongest leg, which complicates the Bears’ decision-making in certain situations. That being said, the Bears leaned on Santos a ton in Sunday’s 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings, and it worked out in their favor.
The veteran kicker made 4-of-5 field goals (season-high in attempts), including a 54-yarder in the third quarter and a game-winner from 48 yards away. While that was happening, Green Bay Packers fans saw kicker Lucas Havrisik miss two extra points in their seven-point win over the New York Giants.
Havrisik has appeared in three games for an injured Brandon McManus, who has struggled this season and drawn the ire of Packers fans. Havrisik went from fan favorite to a potential problem quickly, which should give Bears fans pause about moving on from Santos for Moody.
Packers Give Bears a Glimpse of What Kicking Situation Could Be
Luckily, Havrisik's two miscues didn’t come back to hurt the Packers, which would’ve been nice for the Bears, as they’re chasing Green Bay in the NFC North standings. Still, it goes to show that the more popular kicking option isn't always what's best.
As I previously mentioned, Santos has not been particularly impressive this season. Heading into Sunday’s road game against the Vikings, the veteran kicker made 80% of his field goal attempts, which isn’t necessarily bad; however, when you can’t use him for longer distances or he misses a field goal in back-to-back games, which happened in Weeks 8 and 9, that will only make the fanbase want to see Moody back on the field.
Moody looked good in the two games he appeared in, making 8-of-9 field goals and a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points. The former San Francisco 49ers kicker undoubtedly has a stronger leg than Santos, which has been on display throughout the early part of his career.
But the big concern for Moody is whether he can be accurate and consistent. Those two things plagued him in his time with the 49ers and doomed him earlier this season in San Francisco. And the last thing Chicago needs is for an errant kick to be the final nail in the season's coffin.
With the Bears, it seems like Moody has fixed those worrying issues. At the same time, it was a small sample size, meaning future success is far from guaranteed. Green Bay fans immediately fell in love with Havrisik after two games, but it quickly turned sour after two missed extra points vs. New York. So while Santos might not be the kicker some fans want, the Bears might be better off keeping him as the starter until he proves otherwise.
As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.