(670 The Score) A better team than the Bears might argue plausibly that they deserved to win a game like that, but this one just can't.
They lost it to the Steelers, 29-27, when Cairo Santos' 65-yard field-goal prayer fell well short, and they ended up wasting a chance for a signature win because of their own sloppiness, confusion and lack of discipline on a night also marked by a litany of critical calls that went against them.
It was tantalizingly close to being the full national emergence of Justin Fields as every bit of their quarterback -- and it still may have been when we're some time removed from the immediate aftermath -- but Matt Nagy's team never pushed through one self-imposed headwind after the next, seemingly bent on stepping on land mines they laid at their feet.
Only Fields seemed ready to rise above the fray, leading a surgical scoring drive with less than three minutes to play, one that included perfectly placed balls to both Allen Robinson down the sideline and then Darnell Mooney in the end zone for the lead. That should've been when the Bears defense answered the call, allowing the rookie to plant the flag of his arrival with the unlikeliest of road wins. But two unconscionable neutral zone infractions and a busted slant coverage on the ensuing possession all but gave the game away.
Those were two of 12 penalties that came at a cost of 115 yards, coming in every imaginable varietal throughout the night, evincing a looseness around the edges that speaks directly to quality of coaching.
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Disjointed and erratic play was the reason the Bears trailed 20-6 going into the fourth quarter, having already given us the early sequence of false start/short run/timeout, only to be followed by an illegal formation that nullified a nice Fields throw to Robinson. There seemed to be a step back for every one forward, and a genuinely bad night from an NFL officiating crew made everything considerably tougher.
Let's get something straight, here -- I'm loath to blame bad calls for wins and losses, and I'm not doing so directly in the discussion that follows. I also believe that when a preponderance of questionable rulings is as obvious as it was Monday night, however, a clear accounting of the facts is merited.
The third-quarter roughing the passer call on the Bears' Mario Edwards Jr. was weak, and it made the later hit on Fields by the Steelers' Alex Highsmith look even more malicious in comparison, though it went unpunished. The defensive pass interference on Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson could've been called either way, which is a nice way of saying let them play on. James Daniels shouldn't have been called for an illegal low block of T.J. Watt either, because the contact occurred right at the edge of the line, within the box defined by the position of the tight end. There's more blame to be shared on the taunting call that followed what looked like a drive-killing sack by Cassius Marsh, but it ended up keeping the Steelers alive for a field goal that doubled their lead.
The taunting crackdown happened for bad reasons, the whim of one owner who believes that anything that could possibly escalate into a fight has to somehow be pre-crimed out. The rollout of the enforcement has been fraught with unfairness, inconsistency and conjecture, as it seemed was the case with some extra-sensory perception of Marsh's intent to demean an opponent. Still, he has to make the play and get himself back to his sideline with no room for such incident.
Bottom line, the flags mattered. And it's too bad.
Nagy's Bears aren't a tight enough operation to withstand all of it, not after rolling over so easily so early and spotting their opponent leads of 14-0 and 20-6. The Bears opened up the passing offense too late, uncomfortable with managing the kind of risk that other, better offenses cash in regularly with touchdowns.
Nothing that still haunts the Bears is fixed by a valiant late effort, not by any stretch. But Fields deserves credit for leading a drive that stars are supposed to lead, with a low heart rate, poise and awareness. He finished with his best day as a professional football player: 17 completions on 29 passes for 291 yards, a touchdown and a fluke interception. His 89.87 passer efficiency rating also didn't account for his 45 rushing yards on eight carries or his ability to keep plays viable with his athleticism.
It would be nice if his teammates and coaches -- and at times some officials -- could've stayed out of their own way enough to make it all feel less empty.
Dan Bernstein is the co-host of the Bernstein & Rahimi Show on middays from 9 a.m. until noon on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan_Bernstein.
