If you wanted to be negative about it, you might note that Bears kicker Cody Parkey missed 10 kicks this year.
On the more positive side, you might realize that Parkey hit five uprights this season — which is kind of amazing even if it doesn’t yield points.
Despite his struggles on field goals this year, the Bears kicker was choosing to look at the numbers in his own way. He hit 23-of-30 field goals, and that 77 percent accuracy is last among playoff kickers. But he’s expanding the sample size to include his 42-of-45 accuracy on extra points.
“You calculate all the times I’ve kicked the ball this year, including extra points, which are 33-yard field goals essentially, I’ve kicked at 87 percent,” Parkey said, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It’s easy to look at and be like, ‘Oh, he’s done terrible this year.’ But I’ve kicked at 87 percent, which by no means is terrible, [although] it’s not where I want to be.
“I look at the positives every game, if I do bad [or] if I do good. That’s why I’m able to stand here in front of you today, five years into the NFL, still kicking.”
The Bears have gone to great lengths to keep Parkey on track this year, after signing him to a four-year, $15 million contract this offseason. After his four-trick shot game against the Lions (all hitting the uprights), they started having him go to Soldier Field for practice, creating a 80-mile round trip to help keep him confident. After he doinked another one last week against the Vikings, Bears coach Matt Nagy was careful to say the blame was not solely Parkey’s.
Because they’re living on defense and being careful with the ball, having him in the right mindset in the playoffs is crucial. And if that means letting him present his stats his own way, then they’ll let him.
