Ryan Santoso’s struggles kicking in the rain mean the Detroit Lions could have their third kicker of the season.
Santoso missed a field goal and extra point in Sunday’s 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, leaving the Lions (0-8-1) as the only remaining winless team in the NFL.
In soggy conditions, Santoso pushed an extra point wide right after Godwin Igwebuike scored on a 42-yard run early in the third quarter. Igwebuike’s touchdown gave the Lions a 16-10 lead, and the Steelers tied the game with two second half field goals.
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In overtime, Santoso badly missed a 48-yard field goal attempt on the period’s second possession that would have given the Lions their first win.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said the operation with the kick was fine, and that Santoso, who played as a practice squad callup for the injured Austin Seibert, just missed the kick.
Seibert, who is 10-for-12 on field goals this season, is on injured reserve and will miss at least the next two games with a hip injury.
“We’re going to bring some guys in, work them out, and just see who the best man for the job is,” Campbell said Monday.
The Lions have been looking for stability at kicker since losing Matt Prater to free agency in spring.
They cycled through three different kickers in training camp — Randy Bullock, Matthew Wright and Zane Gonzalez — before claiming Seibert off waivers from the Cleveland Browns.
Bullock is 18-for-20 on field goals this season for the Tennessee Titans, Wright made a last-second field goal to give the Jacksonville Jaguars their first win of the season in October and Gonzalez has made 16 straight field goal attempts for the Carolina Panthers.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.