The promising start of kicker Eddy Pineiro’s career with the Bears has careened to the point that he is now staring down the final six games knowing his roster spot is at stake.
Not only is there a question about Pineiro’s long-term future after missing four field goals and an extra point over the last four games, but the possibility of the Bears making change before the end of the season will linger if he doesn’t turn it around quickly.
Pineiro missed wide left from 48 yards on the opening drive and wide right from 47 on his ensuing attempt against the Rams last weekend. Once a hero for his 53-yard winner against the Broncos in Week 2, he’s now 25th in the NFL with a 70.6 field-goal percentage. Cody Parkey got cut after making 76.7 percent last season.
It will only get tougher for Pineiro, too, with four of the Bears’ remaining games being at Soldier or Lambeau Field.
“Everything gets magnified, and it’s frustrating because he wants to make it,” coach Matt Nagy said. “He’s competitive as hell. He wants to make that. He’s mad at himself. We want him to know that we’ve got confidence in him.”
But do they? Nagy has maintained his belief in Pineiro publicly throughout the season, but in-game decisions don’t always back that up.
After Pineiro’s first miss, Nagy opted to go for it on fourth-and-9 at the Rams’ 31-yard line rather than try a field goal from 47 yards. He also punted with 27 seconds left in the half instead of letting Pineiro take a shot from 55.
It was reminiscent of how cautious Nagy was about using him early in the season, when he eschewed a 51-yard try against the Packers to go for it on fourth-and-10.
The alarming part of his misses in Los Angeles, on a perfect night weather-wise, was that he had them back-to-back and was way off on both. NBC tracked him at 3 feet wide left, then 5 feet wide right. Nagy has said since training camp he puts a premium on kickers being able snap back from a shank.
“The thing to me that was a little bit different was it was two in a row that he missed,” he said. “That’s what we’re working through. So now, when we get back out there, he’s going to make them and we’re going to get rolling.”
Easy to say, hard to do. And the last thing a team that’s scoring just 16.9 points per game needs is to throw away three points here and there.
Pineiro declined to speak to the media Wednesday.
Injury updates
Not that anyone has been waiting on this, but don’t expect tight end Adam Shaheen back soon. He was inactive the last two weeks and did not practice Wednesday because of a foot injury.
Linebacker Danny Trevathan, who is still holding out hope of returning from an elbow injury this season, also did not practice.
Right tackle Bobby Massie exited the Rams game with a back injury, but said this week he feels fine and practiced in full Wednesday.
