Do the Bears have a Cairo Santos problem?

In the Chicago Bears’ 30-27 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Cairo Santos’ first field goal attempt was blocked, making it two consecutive kicks that were blocked if you go back to the failed game-winning attempt in Week 11. Once again, defenders were asked by the media about what they did to pull off the block, and they noted that Santos kicks at a lower trajectory than most NFL kickers, so they chase the block more aggressively.

Just talked to several Vikings about the FG block. Santo’s low kicks came up again. Vikings emphasized getting an inside push bc they knew they could get a block if they did.
S Theo Jackson: “We don’t really cover too many kickers that have this type of low trajectory…”

— Kalyn Kahler (@kalynkahler) November 24, 2024

Let’s be clear: Santos’ limited range is a problem. In today’s NFL, kickers routinely blast field goals from 55 or more yards. Meanwhile, Santos has a max range of about that long, and that’s pushing it. He kicks at a lower trajectory than most because he needs every inch of distance he can muster on a ball if he’s kicking from farther than about 40 yards.

Still, Santos isn’t the reason why those two kicks were blocked. The blame lies primarily with the guys who are supposed to block the defenders in front of him. Go back and watch both blocked kicks, The opposing team gets deep into Chicago’s backfield from the same spot on the line, right up the middle. To make matters worse, it appears to be the same player giving up the blocked field goal in both games, meaning no changes were made after that disaster against Green Bay.

It’s not the answer anyone wants to hear, but the simple fact is that both field goals were blocked because Chicago’s special teams blocking gave up significant pressure. Besides, if you’re going to blame Santos for the early miss, you have to give him credit for the clutch kick to send the game into overtime.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

The blocked field goals have Bears fans so rattled that some folks want the Bears to make a change at kicker. That would be a huge mistake. Cairo Santos, for all his problems, is the most accurate kicker in team history. Yes, even more accurate than Bears legend Robbie Gould. Chicago ditched Gould when they thought he was getting too old and his range too limited to be reliable.

Do you remember what followed? The Bears suffered for several years with unreliable kicking. From Connor Barth hitting just 73% of his field goals across two seasons to Cody Parkey’s infamous double-doink, the Bears were in kicking purgatory until they signed Cairo Santos.

Are there better kickers out there? Yes. Is Santos’ limited range going to continue to be a problem? Very much so. But you don’t move on from a guy who has made 90% of his field goals since signing with the team in 2020. It could be so much worse than it is, and Bears fans should know that better than anyone.