Tag: Chicago Bears vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

John DeFilippo praised Justin Fields’ clutch performance in big moment vs. Steelers

Bears rookie Justin Fields continues to inspire confidence in his teammates and coaches.

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Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields had his breakout game in a Week 9 matchup against the Steelers, where he flashed his ability to step up in big moments.

Fields was poised, confident and decisive on the road in a prime-time contest against one of the NFL’s best defenses. And when the Bears needed him most, the rookie stepped up and delivered.

Trailing by six points with less than three minutes left in the game, Fields led the Bears on a 7-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, where he had some big-time throws, to give Chicago a 27-26 lead with under two minutes in the game.

While the Bears didn’t get the win, after the defense allowed the Steelers to kick the game-winning field goal before Cairo Santos missed a 65-yarder, Fields stepped up in a huge moment.

Quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator John DeFilippo was asked about Fields’ presence on the go-ahead drive against the Steelers in Week 9, and he praised Fields’ clutch performance.

“There wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind we were going to go down and find a way to win,” DeFilippo told reporters Monday. “You feel that energy out of him for sure.”

As Fields is becoming more confident with each passing game, you’re starting to see that same confidence in Fields from the coaches and players. Even as he’ll continue to make some rookie mistakes — he’s only started seven games — he’s someone that you can win you football games as opposed to winning with him.

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NFL privately admits to officiating mistakes in Bears-Steelers game

The NFL privately acknowledged there were “at least 3 critical calls and non-calls that went against the Bears” in loss to Steelers.

The poor officiating in last Monday night’s game between the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers has been the talk of the NFL world all week.

There were several critical calls and non-calls that went against the Bears that played a role in Chicago’s 29-27 loss to Pittsburgh.

While the NFL has stood behind the taunting call on Cassius Marsh, which was the most-discussed flag, they actually admitted to some errors on other calls.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, the NFL privately admitted that there were “at least three critical calls and non-calls that went against the Bears” in their loss to the Steelers.

There were several calls that went against the Bears, but Rapoport and Pelissero noted the three — according to the NFL — missed calls and non-calls specifically.

One of those was the missed call on a phantom low block on right guard James Daniels, which wiped out a Justin Fields to Jimmy Graham touchdown. Upon review, Daniels remained in the tight end box and didn’t touch T.J. Watt and was still called for the low block.

Two plays later, the officials missed a roughing the passer call on Fields, who was hit well after the ball was released. There was no call — despite Ben Roethlisberger getting a similar call earlier in the game. Instead, the Bears had to settle for a field goal, a four-point swing that played a role in the final score.

The third play referenced was one that wasn’t among the most discussed until noted by The Athletic‘s Adam Jahns, where Several Steelers players appeared to line up in the neutral zone on Cairo Santos’ 65-yard field goal to win the game, which ultimately fell short. The flag would’ve given Santos another attempt at a field goal or given Matt Nagy time to give Fields a shot at a Hail Mary.

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Bears OLB Cassius Marsh being fined for unsportsmanlike conduct

The NFL stands behind the taunting call on Bears OLB Cassius Marsh, and they’re even fining him for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The NFL has come under fire this week following poor officiating in the Bears-Steelers game, where there were several questionable calls and no calls against Chicago.

The one that garnered the most attention was Bears outside linebacker Cassius Marsh being called for taunting after a sack on Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. After doing his usual celebration, Marsh walked toward the Steelers sideline, although he didn’t say anything or gesture.

According to Marsh, head official Tony Corrente hip checked him as he made his way back to the sideline, which was when Corrente threw the flag. It’s a call that’s been debated and blasted all week, but the NFL has stood behind its stance that Marsh’s actions were indeed taunting.

And they made it clear by finding him $5,972 for unsportsmanlike conduct, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

NFL SVP of Officiating Perry Fewell addressed the questionable taunting call earlier this week, where he backed Corrente’s call, given taunting is a point of emphasis this season.

“He takes several steps towards the Pittsburgh bench, posturing towards their sideline,” Fewell said.

While Marsh shouldn’t have made his way toward the sideline at all, this “posturing” has been a word that the NFL continues to use, although it hasn’t been mentioned in regards to taunting before.

No word yet on other potential fines, including the missed roughing the passer call on quarterback Justin Fields. Fields addressed it following the game, and you have to wonder if he or Marsh, for calling out Corrente, are subject to other fines.

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Bears rookie Justin Fields has 3 passes in NFL’s best throws of Week 9 video

Bears rookie Justin Fields was slinging it against the Steelers.

After some expected rookie growing pains, Bears quarterback Justin Fields finally had his breakout game against a talented Steelers defense on Monday Night Football, and there were plenty of impressive plays made by the young QB.

Fields averaged 15.6 air yards per attempt, according to ESPN Stats & Info, and his seven completions of 15-plus yards were tied for the most by a Bears quarterback over the past 15 seasons.

The NFL has compiled the best throws of Week 9, where Fields had three of his impressive completions make the video montage. Those included a 28-yard completion to tight end Jimmy Graham down the seam, his 39-yard sideline pass to receiver Allen Robinson and the 16-yard touchdown pass to receiver Darnell Mooney in the corner of the end zone.

While Fields has had his highs and lows, he’s taken a huge step forward over the past two games, where he’s flashed his ability to make plays with his arm or legs and in moments that are never too big for him.

The Bears have a bye this week, which means we won’t get to see what he does next on Sunday. But that doesn’t mean he’s stopped training during his break, as he’s been spotted working out with former Bears receiver Brandon Marshall.

Chicago hosts Baltimore on Nov. 21, where Fields will get a chance to continue to make progress in his rookie development while facing Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

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Matt Nagy praises Justin Fields for ‘special, rare throw’ vs. Steelers

Bears QB Justin Fields had several special throws against the Steelers. But there was one in particular that caught Matt Nagy’s eye.

Bears rookie quarterback Justin Fields had his coming out party against the Steelers, where he made some clutch downfield throws that left many impressed against one of the NFL’s best defenses.

But there was one throw in particular that caught Bears head coach Matt Nagy’s eye.

At the start of what was an impressive fourth quarter for Chicago’s offense, Fields connected with tight end Jimmy Graham down the seam for a 28-yard completion on second-and-8. That set up a 15-yard rushing touchdown from receiver Darnell Mooney to bring the Bears back to within 7 points.

“[Fields] had several what I quote as special plays and the one that stands out to me was the one down the seam to Jimmy Graham,” Nagy said. “That’s probably a top-three throw in the NFL this season. With who he had in his face, the way he threw it, the accuracy, the timing, etc., that’s a special, rare throw. When you see those throws, you get excited.”

The expectation was always that Fields would go through the typical growing pains that rookies do. But over the course of his seven starts — particularly the past two weeks — Fields has taken a huge step forward in his development. And you saw that in how the coaching staff made some aggressive play calls against the Steelers, which showed their trust in Fields to make those throws.

“We feel a lot different now,” Nagy said. “We feel better as to the types of plays we’re putting in that fit him, that fit our offense. Trying to find that match and that balance. The last two weeks, his decision making and timing has been really, really good, and then he’s taking shots downfield, which is great. We’re not hitting on all of them, but when you still take those downfield [shots], they can’t sit on you all the time.

“But then you get to these moments, these critical parts of the game that you’ve seen in back-to-back weeks now that he’s making plays, I think what you’re seeing and feeling is a guy who’s getting more and more confident, not just by every game but by every play. The game is getting a little slower for him on defense. He’s seeing things.”

With the Bears sitting at 3-6 at the bye week, the final eight games of the season should be all about Fields’ continued progression. And if Fields’ breakout game on Monday night is any indication, it’s going to be a lot of fun for Bears fans to watch.

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Game balls: 5 standouts from the Bears’ loss to Steelers

Despite their fourth straight loss, there were some encouraging performances from the Bears, including Justin Fields and Cole Kmet.

The Chicago Bears lost their fourth straight game, a 29-27 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which dropped the Bears to 3-6 on the season with the bye week on the horizon.

While the outcome was heartbreaking heading into the bye week, there were some encouraging things to come out of Chicago’s fourth straight loss, including the emergence of rookie quarterback Justin Fields and the return of Allen Robinson to the Bears offense.

Here is who earned game balls from the Week 9 loss to the Steelers:

Chris Simms put referee Tony Corrente on blast for getting personal on the field

Chris Simms had some harsh words about Tony Corrente, who he said has been known to take things personal on the field.

The officiating in the Bears-Steelers game has been a hot topic of conversation since Monday night, where Tony Corrente has come under fire for his crew’s officiating in Chicago’s Week 9 loss.

Whether it was the questionable taunting call on Bears outside linebacker Cassius Marsh — that the NFL stands behind — or the phantom low block on James Daniels or the missed roughing the passer call on Justin Fields, there were several missed calls or no calls that had an effect on the outcome of the game.

Corrente’s name has been mentioned specifically in regard to the taunting call on Marsh, as Corrente was spotted hip checking Marsh before throwing the flag for taunting. And former NFL quarterback and analyst Chris Simms had some harsh words for Corrente, who he said has been known to take things personal on the field.

“I’ve seen Tony Corrente get personal to people on the field before,” Simms said on Pro Football Talk, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I’ve experienced it, I’ve seen it. I don’t mean to go after the guy, but I’m going after the guy. I’ve seen it, I’ve witnessed it personally.

“I got hit late in a San Francisco game. I threw the ball, I’m taking like four steps and I’m looking up in the stands, then I get cracked in the earhole. And I get up and I’m like, ‘That was a late hit!’ And I might have said the ‘F’ word too. It was third down, so then I run off the field.

“Usually when you come back from commercial break and stoppage time, the referee kind of gives the quarterback a kind of warning, like ‘Hey, call your play I’m about to blow the whistle.’ He’s not doing anything to me. Now we’ve gone through three commercial breaks, a quarter break and he’s just blowing the whistle while we’re all just standing around waiting for things to go, and he’s just starting the clock. So finally I go, ‘Are you going to warn me before you start the clock again? Usually that’s protocol.’ And he just goes, ‘Are you going to apologize to what you said to me earlier?’

“I wanted to lose my crap, and after the game I wanted to call him out. If we won I probably would have. But he just showed me, he was going to get personal, he was going to take the game into his own hands there.”

Corrente was asked about the contact with Marsh after the game, and he insisted it had nothing to do with the flag.

“I don’t buy any of it,” Simms said. “I don’t buy his answer. I’m calling him a liar, I don’t really care. I don’t buy it.”

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NFL fans are fed up with league’s reasoning behind taunting call on Bears

NFL fans are ready for taunting penalties to be a thing of the past.

One of the biggest points of contention this season has been the NFL’s new taunting penalty, which has been subjective and ridiculous considering football is a game of emotion.

Monday night’s game between the Bears and Steelers shed a light on the NFL’s poor officiating, specifically the ticky-tacky taunting penalty on Bears outside linebacker Cassius Marsh that had NFL fans livid during Chicago’s loss to Pittsburgh.

NFL SVP of Officiating Perry Fewell addressed the taunting penalty, specifically noting how Marsh took “several steps toward the Pittsburgh bench” and was “posturing toward their sideline.”

But never mind Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, who, after sacking Justin Fields, pointed to Chicago’s offensive line and then proceeded to blow kisses toward the Bears sideline but wasn’t flagged for it.

We’re just nine weeks into the 2021 season and NFL fans are beyond fed up with these bogus taunting calls. But they’re not exactly surprised the NFL is backing Corrente.

NFL continues to back taunting call on Bears’ Cassius Marsh

The NFL isn’t backing off its stance that Tony Corrente made the right call in flagging Bears OLB Cassius Marsh for taunting.

The poor officiating from the Bears’ loss to the Steelers on Monday Night Football has been a hot topic of conversation among the NFL.

There were several bad calls that went against Chicago. But the most-discussed has been a questionable taunting call on Bears outside linebacker Cassius Marsh, which resulted in a Steelers field goal in what was an eventual two-point win.

Tony Corrente, who appeared to hip check Marsh before throwing the flag for taunting, said that “taunting is a point of emphasis this year,” an indication that NFL Officiating wants referees to throw the flag on anything they believe is taunting. It appears to be a judgement call as evidenced by Corrente saying, “I felt he was taunting them.”

NFL SVP of Officiating Perry Fewell addressed the questionable taunting call, and it wasn’t a surprise that he backed Corrente’s call, especially given it sounds like taunting is something officials want called this season.

“He takes several steps towards the Pittsburgh bench, posturing towards their sideline,” Fewell said.

This isn’t the first time the NFL has backed Corrente on the taunting call.

“The call was the definition of taunting, with the player gesturing toward the sideline and opponent,” a source told The Washington Post‘s Mark Maske.

While Marsh shouldn’t have been walking toward the Steelers sideline, this whole “gesturing” thing is getting a little out of hand. Especially given Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt blew kisses in the direction of the Bears sideline after sacking quarterback Justin Fields and wasn’t flagged for taunting.

Like Fields said after the game, it’s about fairness with penalties, and the officiating was one-sided in the most obvious of ways.

At this point, it doesn’t seem like the NFL is going to admit they made a mistake with the questionable taunting call. But there are several other penalties, including the phantom low block on James Daniels that negated a touchdown and no-call roughing the passer on Fields, that they should still answer for.

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You have to see this moment between Justin Fields and Cole Kmet from Bears’ loss to Steelers

The Bears have some young talent on the roster, including Justin Fields and Cole Kmet, who present a bright future for this offense.

With the Chicago Bears sitting at 3-6, the immediate future isn’t encouraging in terms of this season’s outlook. But with the influx of young talent on the roster, the future is certainly bright for the Bears.

That starts with rookie quarterback Justin Fields, who is coming off his breakout game on the road in prime time. Fields took a huge step forward in his development, and he showed everyone why he has the potential to be a star in the league.

One of Fields’ favorite targets in that game was second-year tight end Cole Kmet, who led the Bears with six receptions for 87 yards, which were career highs. Kmet has been more involved in the passing game over the last couple of weeks, where his chemistry with Fields has flourished.

The Bears’ Twitter account released a clip of a mic’d up Kmet sharing a cool moment with Fields after one of their fourth-quarter scoring drives.

“Let’s build on it,” Kmet told Fields, speaking to the offense’s performance in the fourth quarter.

“We know what we can do,” Fields said before Kmet added, “We’re close.”

The Bears offense totaled 414 yards on one of the NFL’s best defenses, where Fields was slinging it down the field. The offense looked the best it has this season during the fourth quarter, where they put up 21 points.

The Bears saw production from some players who haven’t really had an impact on offense this season, inlcuding receivers Allen Robinson and Marquise Goodwin and even Jimmy Graham got involved for the second time this season.

Chicago is off this week, but when they return the goal will be to build on that momentum from Monday’s loss to the Steelers. Consistency is key, and the Bears will be looking to replicate their fourth-quarter production for entire games.

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