It can be tough to perform well without a chance to prepare in the NFL, but that's exactly what Jake Moody did in the Chicago Bears' 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. 

Moody replaced Cairo Santos, who was ruled out of the contest with a quad injury, and delivered an incredible showing. Moody ended the night with 4-of-5 field goals made and 1-of-1 extra points made. His one miss on the night wasn't his fault, as it was blocked by the Commanders' field goal unit. 

He hit the most important kick of the night on the 38-yard game-winner that sent the Bears home with a victory. 

Following the big win, head coach Ben Johnson was asked if the clutch outing from Moody surprised him at all. Johnson shared that it was nothing he didn't expect from the veteran kicker, especially since Moody has been with the team for a few weeks now. 

"I wasn't surprised at all," Johnson said. "We've seen him in practice now for a number of weeks. That's one, and we also know what he's capable of. He's made big kicks in big games over the course of his career so far. So, none of it was surprising. I think that's who he is, and that change of scenery was really good for him." 

While Moody was on Chicago's practice squad heading into Week 6, it was not where he started the season. He began the year with the San Francisco 49ers, the team that drafted him in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Moody spent his college days with the Michigan Wolverines from 2018-2022. He hit 69 of his 84 field goal attempts in college and never missed an extra point. He was an All-American selection in 2021 for the Wolverines. 

He was waived after being inconsistent earlier this season, and the 49ers signed Eddy Pineiro to replace him. 

Having a consistent kicker like Moody around is rarer than you would think, especially with how volatile the position is in the NFL. Take Santos, for example, who is on his fifth NFL team and is in his second stint with Chicago. 

Santos has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2014-17), Bears (2017, 2020-25), Los Angeles Rams (2018), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2018) and Tennessee Titans (2019). 

It'll be interesting to see if the Bears opt to keep Moody as the kicker or if they will send him back to the practice squad once Santos is healthy. Santos has been with the team since 2020 and has not missed a single game due to injury. 

The Bears face the New Orleans Saints at noon CT on Sunday via Fox.