Chicago Bears: 5 Bold predictions for Week 7 vs. Rams

4. Santos needs to continue his success

How many of you had the kicker, Cairo Santos, as the Chicago Bears’ first NFC Player of the Week award winner this season? Considering the trouble with kickers that the Bears have had since Robbie Gould’s exit after the 2015 season, no one would have thought that a Bears kicker would win that award. Isn’t 2020 a grand year?

Santos hit all three of his field-goal attempts against the Panthers. One of them was a career-high 55-yarder. His field goals complemented the Bears’ two touchdowns and were add-on scores that helped them maintain their lead throughout the game.

The same has to happen again this week. Again, this will be a defensive battle. Both offenses will be tested and the difference could end up being the kickers. In fact, this could come down to a walk-off field goal as time expires.

Santos started off the season hitting just three of his first five field-goal attempts. Fans were feeling shaky at the thought of him making field goals. They were counting the weeks until Eddy Pineiro came back. Now, he’s hit seven straight attempts, five of them in the past two weeks. The fans aren’t thinking of Pineiro anymore.

The Bears have needed each one of those field goals. His 38-yard game-winning field goal against Tampa Bay probably relaxed him and got him on a roll. He has all the confidence in the world now.

Santos needs that confidence so he can continue making field goals. If Santos proves to be as reliable for the rest of the season as he’s been the last two weeks there will be some celebrations in Chicago in 2020.

Prediction: Santos hits three field goals.