Despite missing field goal, Cody Parkey keeps things in perspective

Sunday evening’s playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles likely wasn’t the start to 2019 that Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey hoped for. The 26-year-old missed a critical field goal that would have allowed the Bears to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions and move on to the next round.

Reaction from Bears’ fans was fast and furious. Fans took to social media and vented their frustration.

(WARNING: Explicit Language)

This was a common theme amongst Bears fans, while Eagles fans resorted to tipping Parkey for his miss through his Venmo account (or some fortunate man who had the same name).

Despite the outcome, Parkey remained calm in the face of the pressure. The kicker gave frank and concise answers to the media in his post game press conference inside of the Bears locker room.

"I feel terrible," Parkey told reporters after the game. "There's really no answer to it. I thought I hit a good ball."

The toughest part of the sequence is that he converted the kick just moments earlier, but Eagles head coach Doug Pederson managed to sneak in a strategic timeout. This forced a re-kick and denied Parkey his chance at glory.

"It's one of the worst feelings in the world to let your team down," said Parkey. "I feel terrible. (I'm going to) continue to put things into perspective, continue to just put my best foot forward and just sleep at night knowing that I did everything in my power this week to make that kick and for whatever reason it hit the crossbar and the upright."

But was Parkey actually to blame? Some eagle-eyed individuals on social media noticed that the kick might have been blocked by an Eagles defender.

"There's really no answer to it. I didn't make it," added Parkey. "I take that loss on me. The sun is going to shine tomorrow, but unfortunately this one is going to sting for a while."

There was enough evidence for the NFL to retroactively change the call to a blocked kick on Monday. Credit to Parkey for handling the moment like a pro, there isn't much one can do with a blocked kick. The kicker understands that tomorrow is a new day and here's hoping that he converts a massive kick in the future.