As the Bears search for an answer at kicker, one of the things they’re looking for is someone that can come up big in pressure-filled situations, like perhaps the game on the line in the playoffs.
Less than a week after Eddy Pineiro became the last kicker standing, the Florida product showed that perhaps he can keep the job.
Pineiro connected on both of his field goals against the Colts, as well as three extra points. But it was his 58-yard field goal in the second quarter that seemed to make a statement. A statement that, perhaps, the Bears have found their kicker.
“After that 58, I feel like I can compete with anybody,” Pineiro said, via the Sun-Times. “I feel strong and I feel ready to go.”
While that 58-yard field goal doesn’t count yet, it was certainly a confidence booster for Pineiro, as well as the Bears and its fans.
“He’s one of the swaggiest kickers I’ve ever seen,” cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “Very, very confident.”
The Bears cut Elliott Fry on Aug. 18, leaving Pineiro as the only kicker on the roster. Nagy wanted to make sure that Pineiro had an opportunity to be the guy in these final two preseason games.
Which meant he’d get every field goal, every extra point and every kickoff. It certainly seemed to be the confidence boost Pineiro needed.
“When we went out to practice, I think you could see a little more confidence in him knowing that he’s going to get every rep,” Nagy said, via ChicagoBears.com. “There’s no question when [he] is kicking in the game, in practice, etc. It kind of goes back to the days in training camp when we were giving those kickers a full day; they knew they weren’t alternating, so I think it certainly helps.”
While it’s still possible that the Bears could bring in another kicker if Pineiro struggles in Chicago’s preseason finale, it appears that Pineiro has won the job for a team desperate for an answer at kicker.
