Photo Credit: Luke Hales/Getty Images
Bears kicker Cairo Santos is owning up to the issues plaguing Chicago’s special teams after two consecutive games with blocked field goal attempts. Sunday’s 30-27 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings marked the team’s third blocked field goal of the season, the most in the NFL.
The latest block occurred during the second quarter when Vikings defensive tackle Jerry Tillery swatted away Santos’ 48-yard attempt. Minnesota recovered near midfield and scored shortly after, turning the momentum in their favor.
Following the game, Santos addressed the situation, taking full accountability.
“I take the blame in kind of the stink that we have on our field goal unit right now,” Santos said. “We’ve gone so many kicks in a row without getting kicks blocked, 16 50-yarders the last two years not getting a kick blocked. And sometimes they happen like that, back-to-back.”
Scouting Report Exposes Weaknesses
Opponents appear to have zeroed in on Santos’ low-trajectory kicks and Chicago’s protection flaws. Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels emphasized pushing through the interior of the line, which led to the block.
“[Santos’] kicks are always a little lower, so we emphasize getting more push on the inside this week,” Jackson said. “Because if we get to our spot where we’re supposed to be and put our hands up, it’s going to get blocked because it has a low trajectory.”
This issue isn’t new. Teams have been scouting Santos for his “piercing” kick style, which is designed to cut through Chicago’s notoriously windy conditions. However, this trajectory, combined with the Bears’ protection gaps, has made blocks a recurring problem.
“It’s hard for me to go on and change because I just don’t see a mis-hit type of low kick, but I do have more of a piercing, driven ball flight just to help my make my kicks in the windy situations,” Santos said. “The wind wasn’t too bad, but it’s always windy here.
“You always try to hit the ball the same, but this week I’m always looking for how can I maximize my height with my ball flight so I don’t have to rely on playing the wind as much.”
Special Teams Woes Continue
The blocked field goal wasn’t Chicago’s only special teams misstep. In the third quarter, veteran return specialist DeAndre Carter muffed a punt after it bounced off his leg. Minnesota recovered the ball at the Bears’ 15-yard line and capitalized with a two-yard touchdown run by Aaron Jones to extend their lead to 14 points.
“Got to get out of the way of the ball. That’s on me,” Carter said. “I let the team down today. Game shouldn’t have been in the situation it was in. I felt bad for the guys.”
Carter redeemed himself with a 55-yard kickoff return late in the game, sparking a touchdown drive that cut the Vikings’ lead to 27-24. Santos also executed a successful onside kick to keep the Bears alive, but the unit’s struggles ultimately overshadowed these moments.
Moving Forward
The Bears’ special teams will now be a priority for head coach Matt Eberflus as they prepare for Thursday’s matchup against the Detroit Lions.
“Yeah, no doubt,” Eberflus said. “When you have issues on any part of the team, you got to get involved. We have to make sure we clean up those things.”
Chicago hasn’t had three blocked field goals in a single season since 2012, and the recent performances have highlighted an urgent need for adjustments. Opponents, like the Vikings, are confident they can exploit these vulnerabilities until changes are made.
Linebacker Pat Jones II said he had expected Chicago to fix those protection issues that the Vikings saw on the Green Bay tape.
“That’s kind of rare, because normally teams will go clean up what they need to clean up,” Jones said. “… You always expect teams to fix stuff, but we knew if they didn’t get it fixed, we’re going to go get us one.”
Despite the setbacks, Santos remains focused on improving. “It’s a learning curve for me, too,” he said. “I take responsibility and will work to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
Related Content: Bears’ Eberflus Defends Final Call Before Blocked Field Goal Loss
This report used information from ESPN.
