Another Cody Parkey Field Goal off the Upright in Week 11 Would Payout Nicely
- Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey hit the upright four times in Sunday’s 34-22 victory over the Detroit Lions
- There are odds on whether Parkey will hit another upright in Sunday’s game against Minnesota
- The Bears are 31st in the NFL in field-goal percentage since 2016 (74.6%)
With first place in the NFC North on the line, you can excuse the Chicago Bears for feeling downright upright about kicker Cody Parkey.
Not much went wrong for the Bears in Sunday’s 34-22 drubbing of the woeful Detroit Lions… well, nothing that didn’t involve the instep of Parkey’s right foot.
Parkey banked four – count ’em – four balls off the uprights of the goalposts.
There was no word from Guinness as to whether this was a world record, but there is a prop wager being offered on whether it will happen to Parkey again this week as the NFC North-leading Bears (6-3) play host to the 5-3-1 Minnesota Vikings.
Odds Cody Parkey Will Hit the Upright or Crossbar on a Missed Field Goal or Extra Point in Week 11
| Will Cody Parkey Hit the Upright or Crossbar on a Missed Field Goal or Extra Point in Week 11? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +550 |
| No | -1000 |
If you’re a Bears fan, it can’t be comforting to know that two of the last three, and three of the last five Chicago-Minnesota games at Soldier Field have been decided by three points or less.
Uptight About the Upright?
The Bears took the seldom-deployed option of having Parkey go to Soldier Field to practice kicks in addition to his daily work at the club’s practice facility in Lake Forest, Illinois.
— Reverend Derek Munter (@Derek_Munter) November 11, 2018
Parkey is 13-for-18 on field goal attempts and 20-for-22 on extra points this season but three of his five field goal misses and both of his failed extra points came at Soldier Field.
Here’s Cody
You know it’s been a rough week when you’re an NFL kicker and Jimmy Fallon is talking about you on the Tonight Show.
Could it happen again? Could he hit another upright this week? Logic says no. As Fallon points out, its actually harder to do than putting the ball through the posts. But like a golfer with putting yips, or Dodgers’ second baseman Steve Sax’s inability to throw throw the ball to first base, these things can get inside an athlete’s psyche.
It’s a wild and crazy idea, but play a small wager on yes. It could lead to a big payday.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
