Getty Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey
After a wild finish to wrap up the opening round of the 2019 NFL Playoffs, the Chicago Bears were left heartbroken. The No. 3 seed in the NFC fell behind on a late touchdown pass in the fourth quarter by Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles. But there was a glimmer of hope, as Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky drove the team all the way down and into field goal range with almost no time left on the clock.
Unfortunately, Bears kicker Cody Parkey couldn’t convert a late go-ahead field goal, as the attempt hit the upright and crossbar before falling out. Here’s a look at the moment, which came with just 10 seconds remaining.
Cody Parkey’s would-be game-winning FG hits the crossbar twice sending the Eagles to the Divisional Round. #PHIvsCHI #NFLPlayoffs
After the game had wrapped up, there was obvious frustration from Parkey, while Eagles fans couldn’t control themselves as they celebrated the victory. Apparently, the Philly fanbase was so happy with the outcome they were literally sending the kicker money on Venmo, as Barstool Sports showed.
I guess that’s one way to celebrate a win, even if we found out shortly after the game that Parkey may not actually be fully to blame for the missed field goal. Obviously, a lot of things go into a special teams play, and that was proven true by what came out shortly after the result was final.
Cody Parkey’s Field Goal Tipped
The original belief was that Parkey had cost the Bears a win with a missed field goal. But actually, it seems as though Eagles defensive lineman Treyvon Hester may have saved the day. In a slow-motion video posted of the kick, you can see Hester tipping the field goal attempt.
Watch this video in slow-mo…Treyvon Hester comes up with a huge block off the tip of the fingers forcing the change of trajectory in the kick…wow. #CodyParkey #FLyEaglesFly
It’s a wild turn of events and certainly changes how things look from both sides to some extent. Regardless, it’s a tough blow for Bears fans and a moment that Parkey, the players and the fanbase won’t forget anytime soon.
Eagles’ Impressive Defensive Effort & Late Comeback
The Eagles were exceptional in a few key areas of this game, but specifically when it came to shutting down Chicago’s running game. Lead back Jordan Howard was held to just 35 yards on 10 carries and the Bears as a whole averaged just 3.6 yards per carry on 18 attempts.
While Mitchell Trubisky did manage to rack up 303 passing yards and one touchdown, the Eagles had a bend but don’t break mentality that worked out perfectly. Through the regular season, Philadelphia allowed the third-most passing yards per game at 269.3 but played a solid defensive game holding the Bears to just 15 points.
Even putting all of that aside, you can’t say enough about the drive Foles put together late in the game. It was a 12-play, 60-yard effort which ended with the quarterback hitting Golden Tate for a two-yard touchdown to take a 16-15 lead with 56 seconds left. Although the Eagles missed the two-point conversion attempt, a lot of praise deserves to go to the backup quarterback who stepped up once again to get the job done.
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