Chicago Bears special teams gets its redemption with game-winning plays vs. Packers

No one had been waiting for the moment more than Cairo Santos.

The Chicago Bears kicker wanted, perhaps even needed, a chance at retribution after the Green Bay Packer blocked his game-winning field goal in Week 8.

How about in Week 18 with two seconds left, trailing by a point?

"I don’t think I could write a cooler script for myself," Santos said. "I prayed for a moment to have a moment to kick a game-winning field goal."

Santos got his wish. Santos followed through.

His 51-yard field goal beat the Packers 24-22 in the season finale. After a 10-game stretch where the Bears lost in every imaginable way, they finally tasted a win thanks to their special teams.

That unit was responsible for 10 of the Bears' 24 points on Sunday.

The DJ Moore decoy play on Josh Blackwell's 94-yard touchdown gave the Bears the lead first and jolted the team awake after a dismal first drive that lost 10 yards.

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower's group was the difference in Sunday's game. They've given out plenty of energy plays to the team this season so far, including the blocked punt against Tennessee in Week 1 and the big Deandre Carter kick return against the Vikings in Week 9 that helped send the game to overtime.

But, there were the plays that stood out for the wrong reasons, like Santos' blocked kick against Green Bay in Week 8. Santos said he prayed with his wife for an opportunity to have a chance to get another game-winning kick attempt.

"That kick against Green Bay at home bothered us," Santos said.

Santos got his opportunity at redemption, and he lifted the Bears.

"When he hit it, I think I just ran to the field like a fool," Moore said of the game-winning kick. "I don’t know why, but I did it."

The 94-yard punt return set up that kick. It was familiar to Bears fans of the past who remember when Dave Toub did it with Johnny Knox and Devin Hester in 2011 on a touchdown that was called back because of holding.

Before that, the then-St. Louis Rams did it with Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin. The key is for the punter to kick the ball to the opposite side of where the decoy is setting up. Moore said he was just praying Packers punter Daniel Whelan kicked the ball to the opposite side.

The punt sailed right. Moore was on the left side. Blackwell raced to the end zone.

"When the ball came to the right side, I knew it was going to work," Blackwell said. "I was gassed."

No holding this time.

"I got six guys in front of me," Blackwell said. "There's no way I don't score this."

The special teams successes helped the Bears finally dispatch the Packers.

After being one kick away earlier in the season, the Bears got their win at Lambeau for the first time since 2015.

"It's been a long time coming with the Green Bay fans," Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. 

Those who kept saying Sunday was meaningless for the Chicago Bears weren't on the end of their 10-game losing streak.

Not only did they drive a stake through the Packers' hearts, but they got their redemption in the process.

It's proof that redemption is best served cold, like zero degrees on a Sunday afternoon. Santos and Hightower had been preparing for that redemption for weeks.

"Sometimes you don’t get that chance, but at least you’ve prepared yourself mentally to that moment before it happens," Santos said. "It's a little bit of a blur because you don’t think about, ‘Oh, it’s happening.’ You’re just kind of already replaying that play in your head, and you go do it. So, it’spretty cool. So cool to be a part to do that in this stadium."