Home » Sports » NFL » Chicago Bears

Why Ben Johnson’s Cairo Santos Gamble May Have Altered The Bears’ Entire Season

The situation was an incredibly dangerous one. The Chicago Bears clung to a 27-21 lead. They were 58 yards away from a field goal. A punt would hopefully pin New England deep in their own zone with around a minute…

By Erik Lambert · Sports Mockery

Published: Friday, 23 October 2026 at 4:37 AM

Key Things to Know

Erik Lambert argues that Ben Johnson trusting Cairo Santos on a 58-yard field goal could define the Bears' season.
Santos converted the career-long 58-yard kick to secure a 30-21 win over the New England Patriots.
The successful kick came shortly after Santos had missed a 53-yard field goal attempt on the previous drive.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Erik Lambert argues that Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson made a season-altering gamble by trusting kicker Cairo Santos in the fourth quarter against the New England Patriots. Leading 27-21, Johnson chose to attempt a 58-yard field goal despite Santos missing from 53 yards on the prior drive. Santos successfully converted the career-long kick to seal a 30-21 victory.

Lambert highlights that Johnson's faith in Santos' composure proved decisive, improving the Bears to a 5-2 record. Since 2020, Santos has converted 47 of 56 fourth-quarter field goal attempts, which Lambert cites as justification for Johnson trusting player grit over distance statistics in high-leverage situations.

Read the full article on Sports Mockery

Why Ben Johnson’s Cairo Santos Gamble May Have Altered The Bears’ Entire Season

More Chicago Bears News

Never Miss a Sports Update