Chicago Bears: Is all the kicker scrutiny starting to take a toll?

The Chicago Bears went on an epic search for a kicker since their 2018 season went down the drain on a double-doink. Is that search starting to affect the kickers they have now?

The Chicago Bears had a magical season in 2018. They came out of nowhere to finish with a 12-4 record and win the NFC North. Things were going great for them until it all came crashing down with a double-doink.

Practically from the moment Cody Parkey missed that kick the team went on an epic mission to find his replacement. This mission feels like it’s bigger than the mission Frodo took to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom.

The Bears looked at about a dozen kickers and actually had eight come in to fight for the death at minicamp. Out of that group, two made it out alive — Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry.

Pineiro and Fry made it to training camp and both players performed well. Pineiro hit 47-of-56 kicks (83.9 percent) and Fry hit 48-of-59 kicks (81.4 percent). While Pineiro had an advantage, things changed a bit after the first preseason game. Pineiro missed a 48-yard attempt and made a 23-yard attempt while Fry made a 43-yard attempt (the same field goal Parkey missed) and made his extra-point attempt.

It seems that Fry might have an advantage now. Yes, making a lot of kicks in training camp is all nice and good, but it’s how you do in a game that really matters. Here is what head coach Matt Nagy said, per NFL.com:

"“We’re evaluating them. Looking at what they do in these preseason games is going to be the true test really. We’re looking for that production…And I think the true test will be in the preseason.”"

Pineiro has a strong leg. He makes attempts from 60+ yards but he lacks consistency. Making a long field goal doesn’t have the same effect if you’re missing 30-yarders. Fry doesn’t have the booming leg that Pineiro has but is known as an accurate kicker.

Could all this scrutiny and pressure start to get to the players? Well, it might be getting to one of them. Here is what Pineiro said about the competition, also per NFL.com:

"“Yeah, it’s a little exhausting. Just every day you feel like, ‘Oh damn, if I miss this kick am I going to get cut? Are they going to trade for somebody else?’ It does get annoying, but I can’t control any of that. What I can control is showing what I can do on the field, and hopefully we get some more opportunities this next week.”"

The kickers got added pressure when it was reported that the Bears were one of the teams who made an offer for Baltimore Ravens kicker Kaare Vedvik. As good as he looked in the preseason opener (made four field goals, including one from 55 yards, and to 50+ yard punts), he wasn’t going to be in the Ravens’ plans so the team made him available.

The Bears reportedly offered a conditional fifth-round pick but the Minnesota Vikings offered an unconditional fifth-round pick and they got him.

Now the kickers know that the Bears are indeed looking at other options. These guys are kicking for their lives and now they know that even if one does better than the other he still might be unemployed as well.

While some might think that this entire situation is being made bigger by the Bears and that the pressure might be too much, it might just be what the Bears want. Many feel that even if one of these guys wins the job, we won’t really know how good he is until he feels the pressure of the regular season.

I think they’re feeling that pressure now. They feel all the scrutiny on them and know that every kick they attempt is of great importance for their careers. We see how Pineiro feels after the first preseason game. You can tell the pressure is getting to him now.

What he does from here on out with that pressure will be an indicator of how he might be in the regular season. Making that statement shows that his confidence is a little shaken. If he can shrug that off and get better, it bodes well for his chances. Fry thinks the less said the better. He won’t talk about pressure or anything. He says he just needs to make kicks.

Hopefully, this situation works out. Whether the Chicago Bears pick one of these guys or they go out and get someone else, they need the kicking game to be solid if they want to have a super season.