Now all the Bears know who Jake Moody is after 25-24 victory

The Bears backup kicker wasn't even someone a lot of players knew well, if at all, but his four field goals and the game winner means they'll all known him now.

Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon congratulates backup kicker Jake Moody for delivering four field goals, including the winning 38-yarder Monday night. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Jake Moody didn't know all the players on his new team and many of them had never even spoken to him.

He didn't even remember talking to Caleb Williams after the Bears quarterback said he spoke to the kicker right after signing with Chicago's practice squad.

It doesn't matter. They all know who he is now and that he gave them a 25-24 win and 3-2 record with a game-winning field goal of 38 yards as time expired, his fourth field goal on a rainy Monday night.

Moody’s kick came after a 48-yarder had been blocked earlier and it was enough to rally the Bears after they trailed 24-16 in the fourth quarter.

"It feels amazing obviously," Moody told reporters in Washington after the win. "Hitting the game winner is always a good time. Doing it for a new team in my first game is huge.

"Shout out to the O-line, shout out to Tory (Taylor, punter/holder) and Scott (Daly, long snapper). They've been making my job real easy out here."

Moody hardly had an easy job when the night started. He suddenly thrust into the game because of a quad injury to Cairo Santos that seemed better in the past week but flared up.

"Cairo was kind of seeing how it felt all week, seeing if he could go and it kind of came down to the last minute whether or not he was going to be able to play," Moody said. "For the team's sake, you want the best guy out there. I'm just glad I was able to come through for the team."

The task was tougher beyond being called to work on short notice. There was the nor'easter affecting the east coast with strong, gusting wind and rain throughout the game.

"It was obviously wet, pretty windy as well," he told reporters. "The wind was kind of tough. It kept shifting a little bit but nothing I hadn't played in before."

Moody had come to Chicago after he was cut by San Francisco following the first game when he missed two short kicks. He missed 10 kicks in 2024.

His effort gained the spotlight.

"Amazing," running back D'Andre Swift told reporters afterward. "I had to introduce myself to him on the sideline. First time I spoke to him."

There was a lot of that going on during the game, and especially after the way it ended.

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