Chicago Bears: Eddy Pineiro ready to improve upon 2019 performance
Chicago Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro is in a battle once again but he’s ready.
Chicago Bears kicker Eddy Pineiro faced a battle to win the job in 2019. He had to go against a small army of other kickers in a Hunger Games kind of competition. He won out and had high hopes for the season.
Pineiro ended up having an up and down season. He started out the season connecting on nine of his first ten field goal attempts. He then missed two field-goal attempts, including a game-winning attempt in a Week 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. After that, he missed two attempts against the Los Angeles Rams (what is it with him and Los Angeles teams?) in Week 11. That made him three of seven in games he could’ve helped the Bears win.
Pineiro did correct things, however. He made adjustments and finished strong, connecting on his last 11 attempts. He finished the season hitting 23 of his 28 attempts (82.1 percent). Also, he made 27 of his 29 extra-point attempts. Not bad, but the missed kicks came in big situations and in bunches so it gave fans bad feelings.
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The end of the season’s success had Pineiro hopeful for 2020. The 2019 season was a learning experience for him. He hadn’t played in a regular-season so this was all new for him. He had to battle to earn his job and then had to deal with the pressure of kicking in real games. Now he has a better grasp on the NFL game and he looked forward to a successful season.
Then the Bears went out and signed Ramiz Ahmed, who has a special story himself. Pineiro now faces another battle. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace likes competition and he didn’t want Pineiro to feel too comfortable. Head coach Matt Nagy agrees.
Again, Pineiro is ready for battle. This time he isn’t facing as many players but a one-on-one battle could be just as intense. He’s preparing as hard, if not harder, than last year. He gained eight pounds of muscle and is spending the offseason practicing with punter Pat O’Donnell.
Pineiro ready to show the Chicago Bears he’s the right option.
Pineiro picked the windiest stadium located in his hometown of Miami. He wanted to duplicate the conditions of Soldier Field. There are heavy and swirling winds there so kicking there is difficult, per the Chicago Sun-Times:
"My biggest struggle was going from a windy game right in Chicago and then going and playing in a dome in Detroit. Getting focused on the little things was the biggest thing for me. That was probably the biggest learning experience, was going from a windy game in 30 mph winds and then playing in a dome."
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Pineiro takes his preparation and experience into battle. He’s been through this before so he knows the ups and downs of competition. He hasn’t rested on his laurels and is ready for another battle.