It’s been over six years since the Chicago Bears experienced one of the most heartbreaking playoff losses in recent memory — the double doink, 43-yard missed field goal by Cody Parkey against the Philadelphia Eagles. Though the entire roster has turned over at this point and more backbreaking losses have occurred since then, the double doink always seems to come up in some manner every now and then.
This time, it was with former Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson, who recounted how special that 2018 season was on the “This is Football” podcast with Kevin Clark. Robinson discussed how he felt the team felt confident about their chances against the Los Angeles Rams if they had advanced thanks to Vic Fangio’s defense, while also going through his thoughts during the infamous missed field goal while on the sidelines.
“I didn’t watch the entire time; I just kind of sat there with my head down a little bit, waiting to hear the cheer from the crowd,” Robinson told Clark. “I’m waiting and I’m waiting, and then you hear the thud hit the upright, then you hear the second thud when it hits the crossbar, and then you hear the sigh from the fans.”
Robinson said he remembered the moment like it was yesterday and wished he could go back in time to prevent the kick from needing to happen. When Clark asked Robinson if there was a play he could redo from his career, the former Pro Bowl receiver pointed to a specific instance from that game.
“Now that you mentioned it, maybe a play in the game that we had the double doink,” Robinson said. “There was actually a play in the game where we took a shot to the end zone. If I could have maybe communicated to Mitch [Trubisky] to maybe allow me to have that shot to the end zone and be able to come down and make a play so we aren’t in that double doink situation because I thought that we would have had a historic year in Chicago if we got past that game.”
Though Robinson didn’t dive into specifics, we know the Bears took a shot to the end zone just prior to the field goal attempt. Trubisky targeted Anthony Miller on a heave, who was blanketed in the slot and didn’t have a shot at the ball. The pass fell five yards in front of Miller, while Robinson ran a curl route in single coverage. That could be the play Robinson is talking about.
Another possibility posed by X user BShulkes was a play where Trubisky fired a pass to Robinson near the end of the third quarter, but he was ruled out of bounds. Had the play counted, the Bears would have had first and goal from inside the five-yard line. Instead, they had to settle for a 34-yard field goal.
Who knows what happens if Robinson runs a route to the end zone in that situation. Trubisky was already under pressure and needed to rush the throw, so there was no guarantee anything would have changed. Still, it’s a game that haunts Robinson to this day, and despite totaling 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown, he wishes he could have done more. It’s another disappointing reminder of what could have been.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Allen Robinson reveals the 1 play he wishes he had back from his Bears career
Reporting by Brendan Sugrue, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
