The Chicago Bears found themselves on the wrong end of multiple questionable calls made by officials during Monday's prime-time loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, including perhaps the most criticized taunting penalty, to date, of the 2021 NFL season.
It appears the refs might have missed something on the game's final snap.
Per Adam Jahns of The Athletic, the game's All-22 film seems to show at least one Pittsburgh player was offside when Chicago's Cairo Santos approached the ball for a 65-yard field goal that wasn't even close to splitting the uprights:
Got the All-22 look here on Cairo Santos’ 65-yard miss.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) November 9, 2021
Look at T.J. Watt’s helmet … https://t.co/KBoTm0Jzff pic.twitter.com/NbKOtmrmdq
Steelers win after the 65-yard FG attempt falls short. #CHIvsPIT pic.twitter.com/EXxiq2n09Q
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2021
As Mike Florio explained for Pro Football Talk, a defensive penalty in this instance would've given Chicago a free play and Bears head coach Matt Nagy with an opportunity for a redo. Santos could've attempted a 60-yarder, or quarterback Justin Fields could've tried to convert a Hail Mary.
Interestingly, this is the season's second night game to end via a controversial field goal. Back in September, the Washington Football Team was given a second chance to earn a walk-off winner after New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence was flagged for being offside even though replays and a subsequent report suggested Lawrence didn't commit a penalty in that instance.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!