Chicago Bears kicker Cairo Santos turned a frustrating miss into a game-sealing moment, booting a career-long 58-yard field goal to secure a 30-24 win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night.
Santos had a 53-yard attempt hit the right upright earlier in the fourth quarter, denying Chicago a two-score lead after a 13-play drive lasting nearly seven minutes. Despite the redemption, he struggled to celebrate. "The misses annoy me," Santos said. "I'm having a hard time celebrating these moments and I shouldn't act this way, but I just feel like I'm hitting the ball way too good to have these misses happen."
The 34-year-old finished 3-for-4 on field goals and made all three extra points, giving him 11-for-15 on field goal tries this season. Coach Ben Johnson stood by his kicker, choosing to send Santos out after an injury timeout for Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore. "He came through for us in a big way," Johnson said.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who coached Santos in Tennessee in 2019, was not surprised. "I didn't want him to make it tonight, but a former guy that we coached and Caleb is going to make some plays," Vrabel said. The kick was Santos' longest of his career and the third-longest field goal in Soldier Field history, a result that gave Chicago its fifth win of the season.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing