INDIANAPOLIS — Connor Barth missed a field goal. And then he missed it again.
The Bears’ kicker pushed a 54-yard attempt wide right in the third quarter Sunday. After Colts safety T.J. Green was flagged for running into the kicker, Barth lined up the kick from five yards closer — and yanked it left.
In a 29-23 loss, the miss was the difference between the Bears turning the ball over on downs with about a minute left and them lining up a potential game-tying attempt.
It might also be the impetus for the Bears to replace Barth, who wouldn’t be surprised if he was challenged by a tryout kicker this week.
“Nothing surprises me these days,” he said. “It’s the NFL. So just gotta go back to work. Like I said, those are kicks I usually make. I gotta make them.”
Barth signed a week before the season began, when the Bears dumped veteran Robbie Gould. He said the Bears have “definitely not” seen his best; he’s 5-for-8.
“I started out well and missed ones I shouldn’t miss,” said Barth, who made kicks of 35, 49 and 24 yards Sunday. “You just gotta go back to work and figure out what you’re doing wrong.”
Will he get the chance?
“We look at everything every week,” coach John Fox said. “But I don’t think that’s on one guy, by any stretch.”
