Post by JABF on Dec 4, 2017 9:35:03 GMT -6
Robbie admits he needed to fix some things in his technique. He has done that. He is one of the best kickers in the NFL this year (he's 100% from 50+ yards out... so he's got the leg power back too).
LINK
It looked like Robbie Gould had a couple early birthday presents sitting in his locker on the visiting side of Soldier Field after the game. I’m talking about a game ball and at least one other souvenir from the victory. Gould turns 35 on Wednesday and he’ll surely still be riding high in a couple days after knocking through all five field goal attempts. Gould is a remarkable 36 of 38 on field goals since signing with the Giants and kicking for them for the final 10 games last season. He was 10 for 10 in New York and is 26 for 28 this season with one miss and one block.
“This one meant a lot,” Gould said when asked if coach Kyle Shanahan presented him with a game ball afterward. “I have a lot of respect for Kyle and what he’s trying to build here and the type of coach he is and the offensive mind that he is and just the way he carries himself. He knew how much this one meant to me too. I am just glad we got a win.”
Gould turned to the Bears sideline briefly after his 24-yarder sailed through with four seconds remaining.
“I was just excited about getting a win,” said Gould, who signed a $4 million, two-year contract with the 49ers. “It’s been an awesome two years ago. When I left here and took some time off to try to get my technique and things that I missed at the end of my career, it’s been an awesome run for two years.”
I asked Gould if he tweaked anything mechanically in the month-and-a-half or so he was out before the Giants scooped him up last year.
“No,” he replied. “Just got a little more motivation.”
The Bears clearly made the wrong choice in booting Gould to sign Connor Barth and they more than admitted is much when they released Barth last month after a rocky season-and-a-half or so. They thought they were doing the right thing and making an upgrade with upside for the future by adding Cairo Santos, the former Chief. But Santos tweaked his groin muscle, at least that’s what the team believes happened, in pregame warmups and was limited to extra points and maybe some short field goal attempts, tries that never happened during the game.
Santos injured his groin in preseason and then re-injured it in Week 3 before the Chiefs reached an injury settlement with him. Word was he might need to sit out the remainder of the season to heal up but the thinking was Santos was ready and he passed the team’s physical when he came in, signing a one-year contract.
“I am a little heartbroken right now for myself and for the team because I did feel healed and strong enough to endure all the kicking and I felt great in practice,” Santos said. “Didn’t miss any periods in practice. Did all of the load. In pregame, sometimes it happens. It’s out of my control. It just flared up on me again. We’ll take a look at it tomorrow and see how it is.
“I kicked the extra points. I could feel something. I could manage it. So there is some optimism. It’s maybe just some tightness. Some nerve irritation. They checked me before the game and they thought my strength level was actually impressive. Maybe it’s not muscle related. We’ll just have to take a look at it tomorrow.”
I’d expect there is a good chance the Bears will bring in a new kicker or host a tryout with a couple options. It’s disappointing for Santos, who looked at the end of the season as an opportunity to bolster his resume for free agency just a little bit. The Bears had punter Pat O’Donnell kick off and he did pretty well with two touchbacks and one that was five yards deep in the end zone that was run out. O’Donnell handled kickoff duties part of the time he was in college.
“He’s a stud,” Santos said. “I told him, ‘Just like the Miami days.’ He was a great kickoff guy at Miami. I am proud of how he handled it like a pro. It didn’t look like he was nervous at all.”
With some luck maybe Santos is not badly injured but you have to think the Bears will need a new kicker for this coming week. Meanwhile, Gould is on pace to have the best percentage of his career. He’s at 92.9 right now this season. His previous best was 87.9 which he accomplished in 2008 and 2013 when he made 26 of 29 attempts.
It looked like Robbie Gould had a couple early birthday presents sitting in his locker on the visiting side of Soldier Field after the game. I’m talking about a game ball and at least one other souvenir from the victory. Gould turns 35 on Wednesday and he’ll surely still be riding high in a couple days after knocking through all five field goal attempts. Gould is a remarkable 36 of 38 on field goals since signing with the Giants and kicking for them for the final 10 games last season. He was 10 for 10 in New York and is 26 for 28 this season with one miss and one block.
“This one meant a lot,” Gould said when asked if coach Kyle Shanahan presented him with a game ball afterward. “I have a lot of respect for Kyle and what he’s trying to build here and the type of coach he is and the offensive mind that he is and just the way he carries himself. He knew how much this one meant to me too. I am just glad we got a win.”
Gould turned to the Bears sideline briefly after his 24-yarder sailed through with four seconds remaining.
“I was just excited about getting a win,” said Gould, who signed a $4 million, two-year contract with the 49ers. “It’s been an awesome two years ago. When I left here and took some time off to try to get my technique and things that I missed at the end of my career, it’s been an awesome run for two years.”
I asked Gould if he tweaked anything mechanically in the month-and-a-half or so he was out before the Giants scooped him up last year.
“No,” he replied. “Just got a little more motivation.”
The Bears clearly made the wrong choice in booting Gould to sign Connor Barth and they more than admitted is much when they released Barth last month after a rocky season-and-a-half or so. They thought they were doing the right thing and making an upgrade with upside for the future by adding Cairo Santos, the former Chief. But Santos tweaked his groin muscle, at least that’s what the team believes happened, in pregame warmups and was limited to extra points and maybe some short field goal attempts, tries that never happened during the game.
Santos injured his groin in preseason and then re-injured it in Week 3 before the Chiefs reached an injury settlement with him. Word was he might need to sit out the remainder of the season to heal up but the thinking was Santos was ready and he passed the team’s physical when he came in, signing a one-year contract.
“I am a little heartbroken right now for myself and for the team because I did feel healed and strong enough to endure all the kicking and I felt great in practice,” Santos said. “Didn’t miss any periods in practice. Did all of the load. In pregame, sometimes it happens. It’s out of my control. It just flared up on me again. We’ll take a look at it tomorrow and see how it is.
“I kicked the extra points. I could feel something. I could manage it. So there is some optimism. It’s maybe just some tightness. Some nerve irritation. They checked me before the game and they thought my strength level was actually impressive. Maybe it’s not muscle related. We’ll just have to take a look at it tomorrow.”
I’d expect there is a good chance the Bears will bring in a new kicker or host a tryout with a couple options. It’s disappointing for Santos, who looked at the end of the season as an opportunity to bolster his resume for free agency just a little bit. The Bears had punter Pat O’Donnell kick off and he did pretty well with two touchbacks and one that was five yards deep in the end zone that was run out. O’Donnell handled kickoff duties part of the time he was in college.
“He’s a stud,” Santos said. “I told him, ‘Just like the Miami days.’ He was a great kickoff guy at Miami. I am proud of how he handled it like a pro. It didn’t look like he was nervous at all.”
With some luck maybe Santos is not badly injured but you have to think the Bears will need a new kicker for this coming week. Meanwhile, Gould is on pace to have the best percentage of his career. He’s at 92.9 right now this season. His previous best was 87.9 which he accomplished in 2008 and 2013 when he made 26 of 29 attempts.
LOL