LONG PATH TO PINEIRO!

How the Bears' kicking situation went from "double-doink" depression in last season's playoffs to Eddie Pineiro's 53-yard walkoff winner at Denver in Week 2:

• Jan. 6: Cody Parkey's 43-yard attempt, which some forget was tipped by Treyvon Hester, double-doinks off the left upright and the crossbar with five seconds left in a 16-15 wild-card playoff loss at home against Philadelphia.

• Jan. 11: Parkey irks the team by doing an interview on the "Today" show without first getting permission.

• Jan. 28: The Bears try out six kickers, including former Viking Blair Walsh and NFL veteran Nick Folk. They sign Redford Jones, who went undrafted and without a contract in 2018.

• Feb. 22: Parkey is released.

• March 7: Chris Blewitt, with no NFL experience and a punchline for a last name, is signed.

• April 12: Elliott Fry, whose only pro experience was with the now-defunct Alliance of American Football, is signed.

• April 27: San Diego State's John Baron II is signed as an undrafted free agent.

• May 3-5: The Bears bring eight kickers to their rookie minicamp. The four they have under contract plus four tryout guys, including former Gopher Emmit Carpenter and former Minnesota State Mankato kicker Casey Bednarski.

• May 6: Jones and Baron II are released. None of the tryout guys is signed.

• May 6: The Bears trade a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2021 to the Raiders for Pineiro, who went undrafted in 2018 before spending the season on injured reserve.

• June 12: Blewitt is released.

• Aug. 18: Fry is released, leaving Pineiro as the last kicker standing.