Critical Eye on Velus Jones Jr. and Cairo Santos

Velus Jones Jr. and Cairo Santos draw some rare public criticism from Matt Eberflus after big mistakes in 25-20 loss to Philadelphia.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus normally leans to the player side when it comes to calling out people who make mistakes in games.

In other words, he'll defend his guys.

After Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Eberflus seemed a bit less lenient when two players who have been making mistakes made more to hurt the team's chances at an upset.

It hardly sounds like he's ready to cut bait on rookie Velus Jones Jr. and kicker Cairo Santos, but Eberflus definitely wasn't pleased at a key fumble by Jones running the ball around right end and by another Cairo Santos kicking issue.

"I don't like that. I don't like it," Eberflus said. "I don't like when guys lose the football. It's not good. Guys have to do a better job securing the ball."

Jones was thrust into a larger role than just returning kicks because injuries kept N'Keal Harry (back) and Chase Claypool (knee) from playing, then Equanimeous St. Brown went out with a concussion.

The Bears were in their best position of the day to get a late lead as they were down 17-13 with the ball in the third quarter and Jones took an end around 2 yards to the Eagles 40, but coughed it up late on the play and Haason Reddick recovered for the Eagles.

"I'm an aggressive player and so I'm always just trying to fight for extra yards and stuff, trying to split two defenders," Jones said. "But I've just got to put two hands on the ball and I think somebody had got it out from behind me.

"Yeah, I know what the correct approach is. You've just got to keep two hands on the ball."

The Bears still had two more possessions to try to gain the lead after this fumble and still didn't get it done.

It was Jones who helped cost the Bears games earlier this season with key muffed punts against the Giants and Commanders. 

"The other two, you have two muffed punts because it's different, not when you have the ball secured," Eberflus said. "We'll look at it. Again, he's got to stay encouraged. He's got to keep working and do the right things. I know he can do it right. We'll coach him to do it that way."

Jones agreed with Eberflus on staying positive.

"A lot of things are going to happen as you play this sport," Jones said. "A lot of things don't go your way. It's all about how you come back and play for the next. And so that's behind me. There's nothing I can do about it now, just get a positive attitude and just keep coming back to work."

A rush for no gain and a 3-yard reception were Jones' contributions on the day.

Santos drew criticism from Eberflus but not for his obvious fifth missed extra point of the season that left the Bears lead at 6-3 in the second quarter. Of course, the Bears weren't happy about that, but the irritant for Eberflus was an onside kick attempt in the closing minutes after the Bears pulled within 25-20.

DeVonta Smith recovered it after 9 yards as the ball went right in his direction and proved easy to handle.

"We got to kick a better kick there," Eberflus said. "I think it only went 9 yards. Cairo has been kicking that excellent in practice, that spinner kick. He's been doing great in that. We got to execute there at that moment."

Santos' problem with five missed extra points is strange because he hasn't been as inaccurate on field goals. He has only two field goal misses, one on a block and the other from 56 yards.

Eberflus said Santos isn't injured.

"I think it's just execution," Eberflus said. "You look at the details of where everything is: The snap, the hold, the plant foot, all those things that we look at with detail. Just look at it that way.

"It's just like anything else, any other skill that you're trying to do, it's about the details of it. Just got to look hard at that. We're going to continue to coach him up and Cairo is going to be fine."

The missed extra point apparently did not influence a decision in the first half to punt from the Eagles 31-yard line rather than kick a 48- or 49-yard field goal in 3-degree wind chill with a 15-mph wind.

Eberflus and special teams coordinator Richard Hightower had talked with Santos about limits into the wind earlier.

"His kick line was 27 yards with the wind today," Eberflus said. 

That would have been a limit of 44 or 45 yards into the wind.

"When it was there at the 31, we were out of our kick line there, were going to take a delay, punt and pin," Eberflus said. "Did a pretty good job of punting and pinning today."

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