Talk » Cody Parkey got an excuse he probably won’t use.

Parkey’s missed 43-yard field goal in the final seconds that gave the Philadelphia Eagles a 16-15 upset win over the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s wild-card playoff game was officially ruled a block by the NFL.Video showed Philadelphia’s Treyvon Hester tipped the ball http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/ben-powers-jersey-cheap , which bounced off the upright and hit the crossbar.Parkey was booed by Bears fans as he ran off the field after kneeling down with teammates and opponents for a postgame prayer. He accepted responsibility for the loss afterward.“There’s really no answer to it,” Parkey said. “I thought I hit a good ball. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it. I feel terrible, 100 percent take that loss on me. It is what it is. Sun is going to shine tomorrow. Life is going to go on. Unfortunately, it’s going to sting for a while.”Eagles coach Doug Pederson on Monday praised Hester, who began the season on the practice squad, for having “a big hand in the game” and the team posted on Twitter it was the first blocked field goal in the franchise’s postseason history.The Eagles took a one-point lead when Nick Foles threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate with 56 seconds remaining. Mitchell Trubisky drove the Bears into position to win it, but Parkey’s kick didn’t go through. Philadelphia plays at New Orleans next Sunday.Hester’s block should absolve Parkey from blame, though Bears fans certainly won’t let him forget it anytime soon. Parkey’s teammates stood by him after the game and players around the country quickly expressed their support on social media.NBA star Dwyane Wade wrote on Twitter: “Most of you have no idea how hard this is to do. Cody Parkey way to face the media like a true professional. I’m a fan!”Eagles kicker Jake Elliott wrote: “This is a standup guy that a lot of young players can look up to. This is how you handle adversity like a pro. Cody is a heck of a kicker and will be for a long time. No reason to be taking the heat he is especially when that ball was tipped. #ClassAct”The Philadelphia Flyers poked fun at Parkey during Monday night’s game against St. Louis. Gritty, the team’s googily-eyed mascot Iman Marshall Jersey , kicked a field goal blindfolded in the stands during a “Cody Parkey Challenge” and fans roared, breaking into the “Fly! Eagles! Fly!” fight song when the missed kick was shown on the video screen. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard keeps collecting draft chips.He figures it gives him better odds to hit it big.One year after moving back three spots in the first round and making four second-round selections, Ballard did it again Thursday by sending the No. 26 overall pick to the Washington Redskins for two second-round picks. Indy will now select at No. 34, courtesy of last year’s deal with the New York Jets, at No. 46, thanks to the Redskins, and at No. 59, their own pick on Friday, plus they’ve added the Redskins’ second-round pick in 2020.“It was just a chance to pick up a 2020 second-round pick, we thought the value was good and we thought there was still good enough value to be there in the second round to move back http://www.ravenscheapstores.com/trace-mcsorley-jersey-cheap ,” Ballard said. “We think the ability of having three seconds, we thought that was the strength of how we had it lined up.”It’s all part of a plan.Ballard knew it would be difficult to replicate last year’s successes. He had five picks in the first two rounds, found starters with each of his first three choices and Indy’s first two selections — left guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard — became the first rookie teammates to become first-team All-Pros since Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus with the Chicago Bears in 1965.At Monday’s pre-draft news conference, Ballard told reporters that the Colts had eight players targeted in the first round. And though he acknowledged some were still available when Indy went on the clock, he still opted for Plan B: Moving out of the first round for better value in the second.In fact, he hinted at the prospect of a trade when he joked with reporters that he might not speak again until Friday.“I kind of had a feeling (Monday), I don’t know why,” he said. “Sometimes you just have a feeling. I had a feeling we would have a chance to get out and it would be the best thing for us long term.”He may not be finished dealing, either. In three seasons with the Colts, he has now made eight trades involving trade picks though he knew this one might not be well-received.“We’ve got a room full of people David Montgomery Jersey , we’ve got you all sitting here, I get it, everyone wants you to pick a player,” he said. “But I’m pretty patient. I don’t panic, we don’t panic, we stay true to what we’re looking at on the board.”The Colts now have 10 picks this weekend including their own third-rounder, No. 89 overall, on Friday.__