Richard Hightower on blocked FG that sealed Chicago Bears’ loss: ‘We’ve got to go out there and perform’

Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower called it a team decision to not try to get kicker Cairo Santos closer or to a different location on the field before the blocked field goal Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

But Hightower also made no excuses for his field-goal protection unit on the game-ending play that resulted in a 20-19 Packers win .

The best interest of the team was to kick it, Hightower said.

And when they call field goal, its my job as a coach to get that executed, period.

Before getting to coach Matt Eberflus decision to kick the field goal from 46 yards and the left hash, Hightower first addressed the issues up front that led to the block, still a major talking point this week as the Bears prepare to host the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.

Packers defensive lineman Karl Brooks pushed his way past offensive lineman Matt Pryor and long snapper Scott Daly and leaped into the air to get a finger on Santos kick.

Weve just got to get to our technique more quickly and more violently than our opponent, and thats what needs to happen to firm it up there, Hightower said.

And Im looking forward to our guys responding this week and getting that done.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur and players said after the game that they had identified a weakness in the Bears front, so much so that special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia told the team he wouldnt understand if they didnt come away with a blocked field goal.

There also was talk after the game about the lower trajectory of Santos kicks on longer field goals.

But Hightower brushed away that talk, noting the 160 combined extra points and field goals Santos has kicked with the Bears under his coaching.

Santos has made 70 of 78 field goals and 72 of 84 extra points in that three-year span.

I dont have an issue with Cairo.

I dont have an issue with our field-goal protection team, Hightower said.

I feel like the result of that play was not our desired result.

But I have faith and confidence in our unit, and I am looking forward to them operating in that situation again when its presented.

Some questions have fallen to Eberflus this week about why he didnt run an extra play to try to get a shorter field goal for Santos.

He had the time.

But Eberflus said the Bears were comfortable with Santos kicking from 46 yards and listed risks such as a fumble, tipped pass or false-start or holding penalties as deterrents.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos has his 46-yard field-goal attempt is blocked by Packers defensive end Karl Brooks on Nov.

17, 2024, at Soldier Field.

(John J.

Kim/Chicago Tribune) Hightower said the Bears talk all week, before the game and before the series about Santos kick and monster kick lines.

I have confidence in our field-goal team to make it from any distance they call us from, Hightower said.

Because weve already talked about the distance before we go out there.

Eberflus was asked Wednesday whether there had been any discussion about trying to make sure Santos was able to kick from the right hash, his preferred location on extra points.

Eberflus said there was not discussion about it, and Santos kicked from the left hash.

Former Bears long snapper Patrick Mannelly said on the Spiegel and Holmes Show on WSCR-AM 670 that it would be egregious for there not to be discussion about it, calling it Coaching 101.

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@PatrickMannelly goes off on Matt Eberflus' "egregious" coaching in not getting the ball to the right hash for Cairo Santos.

Mannelly is frustrated Eberflus isn't implementing what the Bears have worked on in training camp and practice each day.

Listen: https://t.co/f9L9lvvWtg pic.twitter.com/G0dhdq0Nho 670 The Score (@670TheScore) November 20, 2024 When Hightower was asked about the criteria that might be used to overrule a kickers preference, he again called it a team decision.

(The hash) doesnt matter because when they call field goal, weve got to go out there and perform, Hightower said.

Thats what matters, going out there and performing and getting the desired result.

I cant allow myself to have excuses.

I dont deal in that world.

This is a results-based business, and you have to deal in result and fact, correct what happened, move on, use it to your advantage and then lets go to work.

And thats the mind-state Im in.

All my energy and my focus is on beating Minnesota..

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