WATCH: Bears called for taunting before Steelers punt, extends drive
The Pittsburgh Steelers were preparing to punt the football after the Bears got a sack on third down, only to have Chicago commit a taunting penalty. Linebacker Cassius Marsh brought down Ben Roethlisberger for the sack, and was flagged for taunting after taking a few steps towards the Pittsburgh bench.
Bears called for taunting against Steelers
The penalty drew immediate criticism from fans and the Monday Night Football broadcast crew, as it was unclear exactly what Marsh was flagged for. The replay showed that Marsh did not appear to be saying anything, and was looking to the Steelers’ bench and not at the players running onto the field for the punt.
Officials appeared to flag him for his approach to the bench, but the broadcast crew for ESPN was quick to point out that he was still near the center of the field and not anywhere close to the Steelers sideline.
“Think about Cassius Marsh who was just elevated from the practice squad,” stated ESPN’s Brian Griese. “He gets the biggest sack of the game and then, okay I get it, you don’t want to give any room [for them] to throw the flag on you. But to me he’s looking at the sideline from the hash [markers]. Why are we throwing a penalty there?
“All I can say is — in these most crucial of moments you have to play it by the book. [But] that’s a tough one to swallow. That’s tough to swallow.”
After play continued, the Monday night crew asked former NFL official John Parry what he thought about the taunting penalty being called at such a crucial moment in the game.
“A lot of people don’t like it, but let me tell you this — throughout the entire season — the league, they have been consistent with this call,” explained Parry. “And I’m sure what [the official] felt is that he directed that towards the Pittsburgh bench. Look, they’re going off the training tapes. What do they want, what don’t they want? He’s taken six, seven, eight steps towards the bench area.”
The penalty resulted in 15 yards for the Steelers and a fresh set of downs. Pittsburgh scored on a 52-yard field goal as a result of the drive and pushed their lead to six points.
Chicago answered in dramatic fashion as Fields delivered a touchdown pass to receiver Darnell Mooney with 1:46 remaining in the game. Unfortunately, there was just enough time left for Roethlisberger to lead a final drive and field goal, as the Steelers won the game 29-27.