The Chicago Bears saw their four-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday, and there were plenty of factors that contributed to the 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. An off day for Caleb Williams and a continued avalanche of penalties were some of the most concerning developments. But another development that was toward the top of the list was the return of Cairo Santos.
Santos reclaimed his role as the Bears' kicker on Sunday after missing the past two games with a right thigh injury. While Jake Moody had filled in for the past two games, he made a compelling case to take Santos’s job and one that became even stronger when Santos’s flaws were exposed on Sunday afternoon.
The Bears Might Need to Rethink Their Loyalty to Cairo Santos
The Bears wasted no time in putting Santos to work on Sunday as he made 3-of-4 field goals, including a long of 47 yards. But the statline didn’t tell the whole story as his miss came on a 58-yard field goal at the end of the first half that fell short of the goalposts.
There are some excuses Santos could use for the short kick. The Bears’ field goal unit had to run onto the field quickly at the end of the half, which gave him limited time to square up for the attempt. The “fire drill” nature of the attempt also didn’t allow the officials to get the “K ball” into the game, which is normally used for field goal attempts and allows kickers to get extra distance.
But it’s also a reflection of who Santos is. The 34-year-old has been extremely accurate since joining the Bears, making 88.8% of his field goals and 94.1% of his extra points over seven seasons. However, Santos has had trouble from distance, making 23-of-32 attempts (71.8%) from over 50 yards during his time in Chicago.
Santos’s 47-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter was also a concern as it wobbled before clearing the crossbar and amplified the point Bears fans have been making all along.
Moody has been elevated from the Bears' practice squad in each of the past two weeks, giving Chicago a modern-day kicker. Even though he made 8-of-9 field goals, his lone miss was blocked. He’s also shown a stronger leg than Santos, hitting a career-long of 57 yards during his rookie season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2023.
Accuracy has been a problem for Moody, and the reason he’s on the Bears is because he missed 2-of-3 field goals in the 49ers’ season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. But on a day like Sunday, where Williams struggled and Chicago couldn’t get out of its own way, it would be nice to have the option to put points on the board when the offense hovers around midfield.
It will be interesting to see if Johnson feels the same way after giving a one-word endorsement to Santos while he was injured. But even if he doesn’t, it’s something he should consider if the Bears want to be serious contenders in the NFC.