Bears’ Cairo Santos sounds off on rebounding from miss to sink Patriots with 58-yard bomb

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>Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson believes in Cairo Santos, and that is probably much easier to do because the longtime kicker strongly believes in himself. Following a potentially costly miss that could have swayed momentum in the New England Patriots’ favor, Santos quickly composed himself and fired a career-long 58-yard field goal that helped clinch a 30-24 win for his squad.

>While mental fortitude is mandatory for this position, the 34-year-old Brazilian displayed impressive tenacity by making a milestone kick just minutes after committing a blunder.

>“The misses annoy me, but like I can clear it so quick,” Santos said, per Adam Jahns of CHGO Sports. “Like when (it’s) the next opportunity, I just lock into my routine and I trust that I can execute.”

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>Execute he did. The Tulane alum bounced the ball off the post on a 53-yard FG attempt with just over eight minutes left on the game clock. The miss enabled the Patriots to take over at their own 43-yard line and potentially capture the lead. Chicago’s defense held strong, however, and forced a three-and-out. A brutal Caleb Williams sack then gave the kicker another opportunity to leave his mark on this Week 7 Thursday Night Football matchup.

>Cairo Santos welcomed the chance for redemption, and for the first time in his 13-year NFL career, he connected on a 58-yarder. The Bears secured a 30-21 lead with 1:34 remaining, which meant the Patriots would need to complete a miraculous finish in order to snatch victory. They did not.

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>Santos’ bomb proved to be the difference, and moreover, it showed just how resilient he can be when the pressure is approaching uncomfortable levels. The Bears (5-2) will vie for their third straight win when they face the Seattle Seahawks (3-3) in Week 8.

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>Related: Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez can only tip his cap to Caleb Williams after loss to Bears