‘He embodies who we are as a team’ — Bears HC Ben Johnson shows nothing but respect for a player he’ll never seem to lose confidence in
Cairo Santos came through in a big way for the Bears in Week 11.
The Chicago Bears pulled off another late game thriller on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings and the right leg of Cairo Santos proved to be another roller coaster affair.
Yet, when it was all said and done, Santos came out looking like the hero of Chicago after his 48-yard field goal tucked in next to the left up-right for a game-winner in Week 11, making everyone forget about the missed field goal he had earlier in the game.
“That’s who he is. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said of Santos after the game. “He doesn’t let one miss phase him. He embodies who we are as a team”
Unwavering support for Cairo Santos keeps paying off but how long can the Bears lean on it?
Cairo Santos continues to be a fascinating study for the Bears as his limitations have been evident going back to last season when it comes to his range. Yet, he continues to hit big time kicks when it matters this season.
All in all, Santos accounted for 13 points in the team’s 19-17 win over the Vikings and in a need-to-have-it situation, the Bears knew they could count on Santos to come through. And the belief Johnson instills in players like Santos goes a long way.
“You prepare for these things,” Santos said in the locker room. “In my head, I’m already playing a game-winning field goal when Minnesota scored. I was already rehearsing that kick in my head on the sidelines. So, when you get that opportunity, you just gotta go and trust everything you put in.”
Trust is a word Bears fans have struggled to come to terms with when it comes to the veteran kicker, who by the way, passed Robbie Gould for most 50-plus yard field goals in franchise history on Sunday. I certainly am nervous every time Santos steps onto the field.
Yet, the coaching staff and his teammates continues to have confidence in their guy, and that means something. It was nice to see Santos have this kind of moment again but it’s also hard to trust a player that’s missed three crucial field goals in seven games this season, especially when every game continues to be so tight.
For the time being, Santos is knocking game-winners for Chicago and has the full support from his team. The belief outside the building from the fan base is wildly different. He’s proving to be a resilient player for this team and right now that’s the only thing that should matter.
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