PITTSBURGH (670 The Score) -- A wild football game went to the Steelers on Monday night, as they outlasted the Bears for a 29-27 win at Heinz Field. Here are the observations from the Steel City.
Flags and no flags
In general, fans love to hate officials. It’s a time-honored tradition in every sport, and they certainly became part of the narrative Monday. The Bears were penalized 12 times for 115 yards, including several infractions that cost them in key situations.
But amid the outcry over the officiating, it’s easy to lose context of the entire game. So let’s parse through how the officiating decisions affected the game – and how the Bears also did themselves in.
The flags
The taunting penalty called on Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh late in the fourth quarter wasn’t the most egregious call by head referee Tony Corrente and his crew. That one came with 9:19 left in the third quarter.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields hit tight end Jimmy Graham for a one-yard touchdown pass, but an illegal low block was called on right guard James Daniels. Corrente told a pool reporter that he believed contact was initiated by Daniels on Steelers star pass rusher T.J. Watt, but it seemed Daniels missed him. It also appeared Daniels was within the tight end box, where it was legal to make such contact. The penalty negated a Bears touchdown and pushed them back 15 yards into second-and-goal from the 16-yard line.
On the next play, Fields completed a short pass and was hit hard from behind by Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. It was a clear roughing-the-passer call that was missed, and Fields even took his grievance to Corrente.
"‘(Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger) just got that call, so I don't know why you can't give me that call,’” Fields said of what he told Corrente. “I just needed him to call it both ways.”
Fields then took a blow toward the head on third-and-goal. The Bears settled for a 22-yard chip shot field goal to make it a 14-6 game.
With 14:14 remaining in the game, the Steelers faced a first-and-10 from their own 25-yard line and Roethlisberger threw a deep ball down the left sideline to receiver Dionte Johnson, who was guarded closely – and what seemed to be legally – by Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson. A pass interference penalty was called anyway, and it was unclear what Johnson could've done differently. That moved Pittsburgh’s struggling offense 30 yards downfield and led to a 54-yard field goal by kicker Chris Boswell.
But it’s the play by Marsh that will be remembered the most from this game. With 3:40 remaining, Marsh was called for taunting after what Corrente deemed was a “posture” toward the Steelers’ sidelines following a sack of Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh had already brought its punt team onto the field, and Fields was readying to lead a potential go-ahead drive.
Marsh played one game with the Steelers last season and was released by the team in late August before being signed to the Bears’ practice squad last week. He was flexed to the active roster Monday to provide depth without star pass rusher Khalil Mack healthy and got a chance to make a game-changing play on a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Roethlisberger. Instead, the big play was wiped away.
Marsh gave a glare to the Steelers’ sideline – then took a hip check from Corrente before the flag was thrown.
“It's just sad to see that happen in a close game like that,” Marsh said.
The Steelers went from preparing for a punt to soon kicking a 52-yard field goal and adding three points that proved to the the difference.
The rest
Beyond the officiating, the Bears did plenty to lose the game too.
The Bears posted 127 yards of offense in the first half, when they recorded just one field and seemed to stray from their budding offensive identity. Fields was primarily a pocket passer a week after he found success making plays outside of the pocket. Why did the Bears get away from what was working to start this game?
Then came the decision by coach Matt Nagy with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter and the Bears facing fourth-and-goal from the 4-yard line following the negated touchdown. Nagy elected to kick the field goal. While the decision made it an eight-point game, the Bears needed to take every chance to win at Heinz Field. It proved to be the wrong decision.
The Bears also suffered a costly mistake when returner Jakeem Grant – for whom general manager Ryan Pace dealt a sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in October – fumbled a kickoff return with Chicago down 23-13 early in the fourth quarter. The Steelers didn't score on the ensuing series, but it did cost the Bears nearly four minutes of game clock as they attempted to mount a fourth-quarter comeback.
Through all of that, the Bears had a chance in the final seconds. They ultimately regretted using a pair of timeouts earlier in the fourth quarter on pre-snap confusion, leaving Fields with no margin for error in leading them back after they had to burn their final timeout to preserve time before the Steelers' go-ahead field goal with 30 seconds left.
Had the Bears still possessed those two extra timeouts, they perhaps could've moved kicker Cairo Santos closer for a game-winning field-goal attempt. He had made 40 field goals in a row prior to missing the game-winning 65-yard field-goal attempt.
Nagy explained that he felt the long field goal and a Hail Mary were similar in their low-percentage outcomes. But after seeing how short Santos was on his kick – and understanding how frequently flags were being thrown – it seemed to make greater sense taking a shot to the end zone.
The Bears left plenty of points on the field and can’t blame the officiating for that.
Fields in primetime
After his first preseason game in August, Fields made a comment about how facing the Bears’ defense in practice benefited him in adjusting to the speed of the NFL game. It was largely taken out of context, with some believing the rookie was claiming the game was naturally slow for him.
Fields was sensitive about the topic moving forward, not trying to come across as arrogant on it. It also seemed the game was a bit fast for him at times. But his experience is beginning to show, because the speed is slowing down for him now.
Fields shined in the national spotlight, going 19-of-27 for 291 yards, one touchdown and interception while rushing eight times for 45 yards. He has continued to look more comfortable within the timing of the offense while recognizing how he can improvise to make a play.
Fields already seems vastly improved from a month ago. It will be fascinating to see where he is by December and the end of this season.
Wildcat
The Bears’ coaching staff deserves for incorporating the wildcat formation into their game plan Monday.
While it isn't a unique concept more than a decade after its introduction into the football world, the wildcat offered the Bears something new and unexpected for an identity built on the run.
The Bears ran four times out of the wildcat, gaining a total of 37 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown run by receiver Darnell Mooney.
Extra points
-- On the Bears’ second drive, they had a false start penalty, were forced to call a timeout because of pre-snap confusion and then returned from that timeout with an illegal formation penalty. How that can happen, I just don’t know.
-- There wasn’t much Fields could've done on his second-quarter interception. That was simply an exceptional play by Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward to make the pick.
-- On third-and-9 early in the second quarter, Fields had tight end Cole Kmet wide open downfield as he scrambled. He didn't see Kmet while attempting to make a play with his feet. It was another potential big play missed.
-- Trailing 14-0 late in the first half, the Bears got into a goal-to-go situation. They were forced to burn a timeout because of more pre-snap confusion, were set back by another false start and missed on a pair of fades to tight end Jimmy Graham. The drive ended with a field goal – and a key missed opportunity.
-- The Bears were a different team – and in particular, a different offense – in the second half. Fields was 12-of-18 for 228 yards and a touchdown in the final two quarters. He found it.
-- Give it up for linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe, who went for the football and made a potential game-changing play with the Peanut Punch to force a fumble late in the fourth quarter on a Bears punt. DeAndre Houston-Carson scooped the ball up and scored to get the Bears back in the game.
-- I saw Styx play “Renegade” at the Nebraska State Fair years ago on a bad first (and only) date. It was exponentially cooler at Heinz Field, the NFL version of Wisconsin’s “Jump Around” tradition.
-- The Steelers’ entire game day presentation at the stadium truly keeps fans engaged, with constant pump-up videos and classic music. It’s something the Bears need to incorporate at Soldier Field.
-- That was as dejected as Nagy has been during his four-year tenure with the Bears.
-- Everybody, from the team to the fans (and even the media), needs this bye week. Rest up and be ready in a week.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.