Yahoo Finance Matt Nagy critical of Eddy Piñeiro after missed kicks vs. Rams: 'You’ve got to make those kicks'
Eddy Piñeiro looked like the hero the Chicago Bears needed when his 53-yard field goal secured a Week 2 win over the Denver Broncos.
It’s been largely downhill from there for the rookie kicker playing in the dark shadow of Cody Parkey. Things went from bad to worse early in Sunday’s 17-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
More missed Bears field goals
The Bears had a chance to put the first points on the board on their opening drive when they sent Piñeiro out for a field goal after stalling at the Rams’ 30-yard line. Piñeiro got a good snap and a good hold. He did not provide a good kick.
Piñeiro’s 48-yard attempt immediately hooked left and never flirted with the uprights as the game remained scoreless.
Two possessions later, Piñeiro had another chance to put the first points on the board when another Chicago drive stalled, this time at the Rams’ 29-yard-line. Once again, he got a good snap and a good hold.
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But this time he pushed the ball to the right for a second miss in as many tries. He didn’t attempt another field goal in the 10-point loss.
Nagy losing confidence
Bears head coach Matt Nagy didn’t even wait until after the game to comment on the kicks, sharing a critical assessment with NBC’s Michelle Tafoya at halftime.
“This is the NFL,” Nagy told Tafoya. “You’ve got to make those kicks.”
Tafoya also reported that Nagy wouldn’t “be inclined” to use Piñeiro with the game on the line.
Why the big show in the offseason?
The Bears made a spectacle of their offseason kicker search in the aftermath of Parkey’s double-doink miss that secured a playoff win for the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field last season.
Piñeiro was the answer they came up with.
With Sunday’s misses to open the game, Piñeiro dropped to 12-of-17 on field-goal attempts on the season. He’s also missed an extra point.
This is not the answer Chicago fans hoped for.
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