CHICAGO – The field goal straight out of his worst nightmare had sailed crooked through the night. Defensive lineman Treyvon Hester had tipped it ever so slightly, and perhaps that was enough to cause the horror show to happen, the ball eventually banging off an upright at Soldier Field, then bouncing off the crossbar before heading back toward where Cody Parkey had launched it, 43 yards away.

Chicago’s failed game-winning field goal caused the Philadelphia Eagles to race around the field in celebration, a 16-15 playoff victory now in hand, and caused Parkey to put his hands on his knees, bend over and look like he was about to vomit.

Bears fans no doubt felt the same way as Parkey was loudly booed while walking off the field and through the tunnel after the game. That rage, anger, frustration and every other emotion that will be hurled Parkey’s way on social media and radio call-ins over the ensuing days, weeks, months, and let’s face it, years.

Parkey was essentially dead inside, a rough season, temporarily redeemed by a good playoff game (three made field goals), finally capped in the worst possible manner.

View photos Kyle Long (R) tries to console Bears kicker Cody Parkey, who missed a 43-yard field goal as time expired, a kick that could’ve sent Chicago to Round 2 of the NFC playoffs. (Getty Images) More

He thought he’d hit it well. He tried to play into the wind that was cutting left to right toward Lake Michigan. He hit three successfully in that direction already, plus another one just moments prior that was nullified by an Eagles timeout.

He didn’t, then or even postgame, know that Hester had gotten a finger on it, perhaps just enough in a game of millimeters and angles. When it got past the Eagles line, he thought it would work, thought he and his teammates would be onto Los Angeles, onto to one more game of this magical season.

“I thought I hit a good ball,” Parkey said.

He thought wrong. Then he thought it couldn’t feel much worse than this.

“You can’t make this up,” Parkey said. “ … I feel terrible. I let the team down … Hit the crossbar and the upright … That’s one of the worst feelings in the world to let your team down. I feel terrible.”

It was about then, as professional hell rained down upon him, that the meaty right hand of offensive lineman Bobby Massie grabbed him by the shoulder pad and lifted him up, literally and emotionally. Massie soon pulled Parkey into a hug. Massie goes 6-foot-6, 317 pounds. Parkey is 6-0, 190. Maybe. The kicker’s head barely reached the middle of the big man’s chest, but that didn’t matter, the gesture was as gentle and as supportive as possible.

As Parkey trudged off the field, still stunned that his kick didn’t carom in, still sick that he’d blown the entire thing, he found that Bobby Massie wasn’t the exception. He was the rule.

Up and down the Bears’ sideline, players and coaches came to pull on his shoulder, or get their face in front of his, or even shout through his earhole. Pats on the back. Words of encouragement.

The Bears had brought Parkey in from Miami, signing him to a four-year, $15 million deal. He was supposed to solve the kicking game. He didn’t. He tied for second most missed kicks in the NFL this season. In a November game, he hit the uprights four times.

And now their shaky kicker had just kicked away a playoff win, just ended the season prematurely, but for whatever it was worth, and it very well one day may be worth a lot, no one was leaving him out on an island of anguish.

The team was going to still be the team. The Bears were going to be the Bears.

Khalil Mack told him, “keep your head up,” in an effort to keep Parkey from slinking into a dark place.

“That’s a teammate,” Mack said. “That’s your brother.”

Kyle Long came by and told him, “dude, you accounted for half our points … We could have done more as an offense.” He meant it, too. “If I had made a few blocks the Eagles would have had less time to make it down the field [for their final minute, go-ahead touchdown]. I look at it that way. If the four-minute offense had been better.”

Story continues