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<p>The field goal mystery from last week&#8217;s Chicago-Philadelphia playoff game has been solved.</p><p>And it turns out there was no mystery whatsoever.</p><p>Just a Times Leader editor &#8212; and really big Eagles fan &#8212; who didn&#8217;t really know as much about football as he thought he did just 24 hours ago.</p><p>Special thanks to CBS sideline reporter and longtime ex-NFL kicker Jay Feely for setting me straight on this one.</p><p>After reading my column where I wondered why Bears kicker Cody Parkey tried his ill-fated field goal from a full yard farther out than what is customary NFL procedure, Feely kindly informed me that I was wrong.</p><p>Despite what many NFL fans might believe, field goals are now kicked from a depth of 8 yards, not 7. That is, the ball is positioned by the holder 8 yards from the line of scrimmage before being kicked.</p><p>Some of the confusion might stem from the fact that college kickers still apparently use the 7-yard standard.</p><p>But their professional counterparts made the switch to 8 yards quite a while ago.</p><p>Here&#8217;s what Feely told me via his verified Twitter account:</p><p>&#8220;I hate to break it to Michael Reich because he wrote an entire column on it but nearly every kicker in the NFL uses 8yds as the depth for their kicks (some use 8 1/2)</p><p>Most College teams still use 7yds</p><p>It&#8217;s been that way for 20yrs.</p><p>(You can use whatever depth you choose)&#8221;</p><p>Patrick Mannelly, who served as long snapper for the Chicago Bears for 16 seasons, also chimed in on the subject.</p><p>&#8220;I still don&#8217;t understand that people haven&#8217;t figured out that the field goal snap in the NFL is 8 yards,&#8221; Mannelly wrote on Twitter.</p><p>Well, Mr. Mannelly, hopefully all of Northeastern Pennsylvania will now know the proper snap distance for an NFL field goal attempt.</p><p>I&#8217;m glad I could do my part to help in this important battle.</p><p>One point in my defense, however.</p><p>I know I&#8217;ve heard football announcers calculate a pending kick using the old 7-yard snap standard. I&#8217;m guessing some of them don&#8217;t know about the conversion to 8 yards either.</p><p>Secondly, while the Eagles-loving part of me is delighted that Parkey missed the kick and allowed the Birds to move on in the playoffs, I have to wonder if moving in a half a yard or so (i.e. closer to a 7-yard snap) would help a guy who has a repeated problem with hitting the uprights. (And yes, I know the NFL officially ruled it a blocked kick thanks to an Eagles lineman who got a finger on the ball as it started its flight.) </p><p>As for this Sunday&#8217;s game for the Eagles at the No. 1-seeded New Orleans Saints, I just hope it doesn&#8217;t come down to another kick with just seconds remaining.</p><p>If it does, all I can assure you is that the ball will be snapped 8 yards from the line of scrimmage.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Feely </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_106923_D18b2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Feely </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Ex-pros set record straight on FG</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Michael Reich</p><p>mreich@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Ex-pros set record straight: No mystery behind failed field goal