Struggling kicker Roberto Aguayo on the spot for Bears vs. Titans

By Mark Potash

Bears place-kicker Roberto Aguayo missed a 49-yard field goal against the Cardinals last week. Incumbent kicker Connor Barth hit his only attempt, a 42-yarder, in the Bears’ 24-23 victory at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
(Ralph Freso/AP)

No doubt quarterback Mike Glennon will be on the spot in the third preseason game Sunday, when the Bears play the Titans in Nashville, Tennessee. But it’ll be a huge game for kicker Roberto Aguayo, too.

Claimed off waivers from the Buccaneers on Aug. 13 to compete with incumbent Connor Barth, Aguayo missed a 49-yard field goal against the Cardinals last week. And even coach John Fox acknowledged Aguayo struggled in practice.

“I think our kicker had a little bit of a struggle [Friday] with some of his field goals, but it was something we knew about Roberto,” Fox said. “He’s got a very strong leg. He needs to work on accuracy. That’s why we’re out here practicing.’’

Already, Aguayo is running out of time, which only adds to the sometimes daunting mental task of getting a kicker in a groove.

“It’s like working with golfers,” Fox said. “It doesn’t really matter how they are on the driving range. It comes down to what they do on the course. They make tweaks. We have kick coaches. You can get to the point where you have paralysis by analysis, too. We’re going to mess with him. We don’t have a long look, but he’s been very receptive, and that’s an area we need to improve at.”

Trubisky note of the day

Cornerback Prince Amukamara said his perspective on quarterback Mitch Trubisky is akin to reporters’ more than an insider. He said the rookie has “opened a lot of eyes” in the preseason.

“From OTAs to now, he just looks like a different guy,” Amukamara said. “He just looks more comfortable or more confident. I’m not a quarterback scout, so I’m probably looking at it from an aspect like you guys [reporters]. But from that aspect, he looks great. He looks night-and-day from OTAs.”

Amukamara dared to compare Trubisky to Johnny Manziel — in a positive way, anyhow.

“Every game, we’re excited to see him play,” he said. “The first game, he had a little Manziel-esque in his game, just running around. I never watched him in college, so I didn’t know he was that mobile. Just to see him like that opened a lot of our eyes.”

Trevathan improving

Linebacker Danny Trevathan, who has been more active with each practice since returning from offseason knee surgery, “will make the trip for sure” and could play against the Titans, Fox revealed.

Brother vs. brother

With Titans first-round pick Corey Davis recovering from a hamstring injury, Bears wide receiver Titus Davis will not get the chance to play on the same field as his brother for the first time since they were in college in 2014. But Titus said 30 family members are taking buses to Nashville for a reunion anyway.

“I’m excited to see him,” Titus said. “It’s a bummer that he’s not able to play. Obviously, we wish that. But I’m excited to be on the same field. My whole family is going to be there. There’s going to be a lot of emotion. It’s going to be a lot of fun.’’

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com