The NFL was its usual self following the debacle on Monday Night Football. They did everything in their power to support referee Tony Corrente and his crew in the wake of the ugly taunting penalty on Cassius Marsh and the Chicago Bears. A moment that pretty much cost them the game in a tight battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then just to drive their point home? They fined Marsh $5900 for the incident. Roughly 5% of his salary.
Proof that justice does not exist in this league. Not when they have an agenda to fulfill. That said, it seems there are some behind closed doors who are upset by how that game played out from an officiating perspective. According to Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the officiating department privately acknowledged that Corrente’s crew made multiple bad calls in that game, all of them going against the Bears in one form or another.
“The NFL is standing behind Monday night’s controversial taunting call against Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh, affirming it Friday with a fine.
But privately, members of the NFL’s officiating department who reviewed the game acknowledged that referee Tony Corrente and his crew erred on at least three separate critical calls and non-calls that went against Chicago in that 29-27 loss — including a low block penalty on the Bears that nullified a Justin Fields touchdown pass, sources familiar with the league’s thinking said.
Officials also missed multiple penalties by the Steelers, including a late hit on Fields that would’ve given the Bears first-and-goal on the same third-quarter drive and offsides by multiple Steelers on Cairo Santos’ 65-yard field goal attempt that fell short as time expired.”
So that’s it? A private acknowledgment but no punishment?
Well, not entirely. While Corrente may have escaped public denouncing by the league and any sort of fine, it’s possible the NFL will find a way to make him pay for those mistakes. How? By downgrading him and his group in postseason assignments. Just like players, refs only get paid when they work. Not being allowed to participate in postseason games can be a significant hit to the wallets for guys who don’t make millions of dollars.
While nowhere near enough to satisfy Bears fans, it’s at least something. Knowing the league office couldn’t help but admit the game was decided not by the players but by the zebras probably didn’t go over well with many in charge. That is not the perception the NFL wants. Refs having such profound influence over the outcome of games is bad for the product. It is a safe bet Corrente was made aware of this.
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Tom Brady get’s that call pic.twitter.com/WLlgsT9kEN
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) November 9, 2021
NFL officials are always awful. But sometimes it’s just really obvious that they’re cheating. Trailing 14-3 in the 3rd, Bears score a TD to get inside the 7-point spread. The ref calls a penalty that not only didn’t happen, but would have been LEGAL if it had. #BearsNation #NFL pic.twitter.com/rPSzNihpGg
— Matt Stevens (@MattStevens1957) November 9, 2021
Robert Quinn was called all night for being offsides.
Yet here’s a blatant still photo (via @adamjahns) of several Steelers offsides before Cairo Santos game ending FG attempt. pic.twitter.com/cDELYA5Iy3
— Bears Nation (3-6) (@BearsNationCHI) November 9, 2021
Not that any of this helps the Chicago Bears
The long-term impact of this game has a chance to be quite significant. Had the Bears won, they would’ve reached 4-5 going into the bye week with tons of momentum thanks to a primetime victory on the road. This might’ve opened a window for a strong push in the second half to maybe make the playoffs. Going 5-4 would’ve ended up in a 9-8 record. Instead? They’re 3-6 with yet more of a tough schedule still to play.
Three of their next four games are against Baltimore, Arizona, and Green Bay. Three playoff contenders. The odds of them somehow beating all three are, frankly, remote. Especially in the wake of what could only have been a deflating loss in Pittsburgh. What makes it all the more significant is that controversial game might end up costing several people at Halas Hall their jobs.
Don’t forget head coach Matt Nagy is on the hot seat.
If the Chicago Bears fail to make the playoffs and post a losing record, most agree he and likely his entire staff will be fired. The same could be true for GM Ryan Pace. They needed that game in the worst way. While fans might be unhappy with the refs stealing it away, one can only imagine how those two men felt.
