Bears kicker Cairo Santos named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Santos made all four field goal tries Monday night, and hasn’t missed a kick all season.

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Cairo Santos kicks against the Patriots on Monday night.

Cairo Santos kicks against the Patriots on Monday night.

AP Photos

Two days after he made all four of his field goal tries, Cairo Santos was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday.

Santos continued his perfect streak — he’s made all 11 kicks this season — in the Bears’ 33-14 win against the Patriots on Monday night. Santos made kicks from 42, 23, 38 and 50 yards, plus all three extra points.

“Once you get that streak of making kicks and maybe the opportunities start, you know ... easier kicks get you that streak going, then you start to feel better in making more kicks,” Santos said. “Then all of a sudden you’re kicking unconscious and just making kicks. The thing that has happened to me when I hit that streak [last year] and I’m on a streak now and I feel like the same things are happening. I hit the streak and now I’m just kind of moving with what’s working, a routine that is working.”

The Bears dominated the Patriots in all three phases.

“We didn’t have a lot of answers for anything,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said after the game. “We didn’t play well in the kicking game. We didn’t play well on defense. We didn’t play well on offense. Obviously, we didn’t coach well. Pick whatever you want. You can say the same about every phase of our game.”

Santos hasn’t missed a field goal since Week 15 of last year, a span of 17 tries.

The Bears’ last NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award went to returner Jakeem Grant in Week 14 last year. Santos last won it in 2020.

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