Chicago Bears: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Jets in Week 8

Cody Parkey had an up-and-down game

In order for the Chicago Bears to compete for a playoff spot, they need good play from the kicker. They signed Cody Parkey just for that. After starting the season strong, he’s had a couple of shaky outings. He missed a field goal in Miami against the Dolphins that would have won the game. Yes, I know it was a 53-yarder, but he is 7-of-9 from beyond 50 yards in his career.

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In the loss to the New England Patriots, Parkey’s kicks were short. Having those kickoffs fall short gives the kick returner a chance to make something happen. The Patriots’ returner, Cordarrelle Patterson, did just that. He had a return for a touchdown (one of two special teams touchdowns the Chicago Bears allowed) and had some other runs that garnered a lot of yards, giving New England good field position.

Against the Jets, Parkey’s kicks again were deep. Entering the game, he ranked third in the NFL in touchbacks with 33 (which makes what happened the week before more frustrating). Again, he prevented the returners from making plays. He had five kickoffs, all of them resulting in touchbacks. He needs to continue that.

What was concerning in the game though was the missed field goal. It was a 40-yard attempt, something not too difficult for a good kicker like Parkey. His field goal accuracy is down from there, however. Two of his three misses came from between 40-49 yards away. He’ll have more attempts from there probably than from anywhere else, so he needs to improve his accuracy from there. He did make a 32-yard attempt.

Parkey will be a key for the Bears down the stretch. They’ll need him to make field goals to help them win, and they’ll need his kickoffs to keep returners at bay. He’s had a couple of hiccups the last few weeks but he’ll get over that and help get the Bears into the playoffs.