After Bears head coach Ben Johnson initially called for a punt late in Thursday night’s win over the Patriots, Bears kicker Cairo Santos convinced his coaches to let him attempt the 58-yard field goal that sealed the victory.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Santos had missed a 53-yard field goal attempt, and Santos had never made a field goal as long as 58 yards in his NFL career. So it’s easy to understand why Johnson was considering clearing. But Santos told special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, who the players call HT, that he would go for 58 yards if given the chance.
“I was right next to HT and Ben called a punt first and then the injury allowed us to talk about it. I was talking to HT that I felt good,” Santos said. “Ben asked, ‘Does he want it?’ And I heard it and I told HT I wanted it and he said, ‘Well, Cairo says he wants it.’ I’m grateful Ben trusted me on that and I gave it a good kick down the middle.
Why was Santos confident he could make a 58-yarder just minutes after missing a 53-yarder?
“It’s just who I am, really,” Santos said. “The misses annoy me, but I can brush them off so quickly. The next opportunity I can just lock into my routine and trust that I can execute.”
Johnson was wise to trust his kicker, and that 58-yard field goal proved to be the play that clinched the victory for the Bears.
Gn sports
