Tag: bears kicker

Ryan Pace encouraged by Eddy Pineiro’s rookie season

The Bears ended the 2018 season in desperate need of a new kicker. Following the 2019 season, it looks like they may have finally found one.

The Bears ended their 2018 season in desperate need of a new kicker. Following the 2019 season, it looks like they may have finally found one.

Eddy Pineiro was far from perfect in his rookie season, but he’s the least of the Bears’ problems heading into this offseason. Pineiro was 23-of-28 on the season (82.1%) on field goals, and went 27-of-29 on extra points.

General manager Ryan Pace came away encouraged by his young kicker’s season and expects continued progress.

“The goal the whole time was to hit on a young kicker that we can grow,” Pace said. “And we feel like we’ve done that with Eddy. He finished the season strong. . . . We feel like he’s going to continue to get better.”

Pineiro had an up-and-down season, and there was a time where he went 3-of-7 on field goals, including some important kicks was game implications. But Pineiro ended the season on a positive note, connecting on his final 11 field goals of the season.

“We never wavered or lost confidence in him,” Pace said. “Just to see him keep his head up and see the team rally around him, it’s all good.

“Again, I really liked the way he finished. We talked about it walking up the stairs of the plane after the game [Sunday]. I told him, ‘You should be very proud of what you’ve done.’ But he said to me, ‘I’ll never forget where I came from.’ And I just think him, having that attitude and never getting complacent is going to carry him a long way.”

Time will tell if Pineiro grows into a consistent kicker the Bears franchise has been lacking since Robbie Gould’s departure in 2016.

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Bears K Eddy Pineiro ends rookie season on a high note vs. Vikings

Eddy Pineiro went out on a high note connecting on all four of his field goals against the Vikings, including the game-winner.

Entering the 2019 season, the biggest question the Bears had surrounded their kicker situation. Following Sunday’s season finale against the Vikings, it still remains a question albeit a less urgent one considering the plethora of issues plaguing the offense.

Considering the up-and-down nature of Pineiro’s rookie season, the Bears kicker went out on a high note following a perfect performance against the Vikings, where he connected on all four of his field goals, including the game-winner.

“It was amazing,” Pineiro said. “I’ve been getting good snaps, good holds all year. The guys blocking for me, all the credit to those guys and the offense getting us down there for an opportunity. It’s a good feeling. I felt like I ended on a good note.”

But that doesn’t exactly spell out the nature of Pineiro’s season, which had its highs and lows. It had its game-winning kicks — including a 53-yarder against the Broncos and Sunday’s 22-yarder against the Vikings. It had its game-losing kicks — including against the Chargers.

This season, Pineiro finished 23-of-28 in field goal attempts (82.1%). He had a valiant start and close to his season — starting 9-of-10 on the year before finishing 11-of-11. But it was his middle-of-the-season slum that was concerning, where he missed four of his seven kicks in games against the Chargers and Rams.

Simply put, Pineiro might’ve ended this dreadful season on a high note, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the kicker position is fixed for the Bears.

Ultimately, Pineiro finished his rookie season as a middle-of-the-pack kicker in the NFL. Which is fine enough. But considering how the Bears were one kick away from winning a playoff game last season — and even winning some games this season — how long will “just fine” suffice?

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Matt Nagy confident about K Eddy Pineiro heading into 2020

Bears K Eddy Pineiro has had his ups and downs this season, but the Bears seem intent on sticking with him heading into 2020.

There were plenty of reasons why the Chicago Bears lost to the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday. But kicker Eddy Pineiro wasn’t one of them. Not that the same could be said several other times this season.

Pineiro has had his ups and downs this season — including booting a 53-yard game-winning field goal against the Denver Broncos and missing what would’ve been a game-winning 41-yard field goal against the Los Angeles Chargers.

While it doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things, Pineiro’s 46-yard field goal in the third quarter against the Chiefs was his first 40-plus successful kick since he missed two against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11.

Since then, Pineiro has been near-perfect on his kicks, connecting on seven consecutive field goals and 10 for 11 on extra points.

“I was really happy that he made that,” coach Matt Nagy said of Pineiro’s kick against the Chiefs. “I think we’re in a good place with him right now. I think if there’s one storyline that we take out of this [it’s that] kickers are going to have some tough times, not only kicking at Soldier Field, but just the kicking world in general.”

Pineiro had a great start to his rookie season, where he connected on 9-of-10 field goals. But as the weather started to turn in Chicago, Pineiro found himself facing his first real adversity of the season.

Following a rough stretch, where he had some costly misses, Pineiro has found his footing, and Nagy feels confident about him heading into 2020. Pineiro has connected on 19 of 24 field goals this season, which ranks 26th in the NFL at 79.2%.

“I like what he has done all year long,” Nagy said. “Moving forward here, going into [2020], I think we know who he is and what we have.”

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Has Matt Nagy lost faith in Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro?

Actions speak louder than words, and lately Matt Nagy’s actions aren’t a good indicator for the future of kicker Eddy Pineiro.

Another season, another year where the Chicago Bears have a kicker issue.

After releasing beleaguered kicker Cody Parkey last offseason, the Bears put their faith in rookie Eddy Pineiro, who got off to a solid start in Chicago. Pineiro converted 8-of-9 field goals, including a 53-yard game-winning field goal against the Denver Broncos.

But then the Chargers game happened in Week 8, where Pineiro missed two field goals, including what would’ve been the game-winner. Since Week 8, Pineiro has gone 6-of-10 on field goals, including missing two field goals in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in a game where points were at a premium.

Despite the fact that Pineiro was perfect against the Detroit Lions — connecting on his lone field goal and all three extra points — there was another example of Nagy’s distrust in his kicker last Thursday in a victory over the Lions, where he opted for his offense to go for it on fourth down rather than Pineiro attempt a long field goal.

In the second quarter of the Bears’ 24-20 victory over the Lions, Chicago found themselves facing a fourth-and-six at Detroit’s 32-yard line. Rather than entrusting Pineiro to convert a 50-yard field goal — indoors, mind you — Nagy had more trust in his struggling offense. Mitchell Trubisky threw an incomplete pass to Javon Wims, but the Bears were flagged for illegal formation.

“I just felt like, at that point, staying a little aggressive,” Nagy said. “If it had been a little further out — fourth-and-seven, -eight, -nine — we probably would’ve attempted a long field goal.

“We’re in that area of, do you settle for three or do you show that, ‘Hey, let’s go get this thing’? We felt good with the play-call, but it ended up not working.”

While Nagy has insisted that he’s going to continue to ride the season out with Pineiro, the future for the rookie kicker doesn’t look secure in Chicago. It’s fair to wonder, unless the Bears are able to lock up a slim wild card playoff berth, if Pineiro is playing his final four games as a Bear.

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Bears K Eddy Pineiro adapting to kicking in Soldier Field conditions

After a solid start of the season, Bears K Eddy Pineiro has found himself snake-bitten by the Soldier Field cold and wind.

The Chicago wind has not been kind to Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro, who has struggled kicking at Soldier Field over the past two weeks.

Pineiro, who at one point was 8-of-9 on field goals and perfect on extra points, has missed several kicks over the past couple games in Chicago.

After missing two field goals against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8 — including the potential game winner — the rookie kicker missed 1 of his 3 extra-point attempts against the Lions.

“He actually hit a straight ball,” special teams coordinator Chris Tabor said of the missed PAT, via the Chicago Tribune. “I just thought his line wasn’t good on that one. He came back next and obviously put it right down the middle, so that was just an adjustment. Same type of ball, rotation, straight as can be. Obviously he wants that one back, and we expect him to make those.”

Pineiro says it’s a challenge kicking in the cold and win of Soldier Field, but Taborhas been encouraged by his process that’s getting better.

“It’s a day-to-day process, and that’s why I feel confident in answering it like that,” Tabor said. “Obviously we don’t want to miss any. That’s our goal. I know that there’s going to be some. But with regards to coming back, finding his line — and it’s a matter of hitting your line — I think we can keep improving there. And that’s what we’ll work on today.”

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