Cassius Marsh Flag Wasn't What Had NFL Nervous After Bears-Steelers

Fans hate the taunting penalty. They don't understand the point. The league uses the excuse that they're trying to clean up their game. Okay, fine. There is a myriad of other ways to do that besides not allowing players to talk trash to each other. One of the things that have always made sports fun. Especially when the refs can't accurately identify what is taunting and what isn't. That is why the Cassius Marsh incident on Monday night in Pittsburgh is still being talked about. Not only was the veteran defensive end penalized after a 3rd down sack for staring at the Steelers sideline, but he was then fined $5,000 for it. Referee Tony Corrente got away without punishment despite hip-checking Marsh after the play as well. It was the latest bit of evidence that the NFL isn't backing down from this. That said, it seems the Marsh penalty wasn't the one that had the league office nervous after the game.

There was another they considered far worse. Which is saying something.

That came early in the 3rd quarter. The Bears trailed 14-3 at the time. Justin Fields led them on a drive that started from their own 7 all the way to the Pittsburgh 1. On the next play, Fields appeared to throw a touchdown to tight end Jimmy Graham. However, the play was flagged with Corrente stating right guard James Daniels committed a "low block" on outside linebacker T.J. Watt. That play cost the Bears 15 yards and resulted in a field goal. Not only did Daniels not commit the penalty, he didn't even touch Watt. It's clear as day on the replays and Mike Florio of NBC Sports says the NFL is almost grateful the Marsh penalty overshadowed it.

"On the surface, some would say that the NFL has had another bad week, thanks to the controversial taunting call on Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh, capped by a Tony Corrente hip check and a fine for Marsh. However, some in league circles believe that 345 Park Avenue regard it as a welcome diversion from that far bigger blown call in that same game. The low block call that took a Chicago touchdown (and a net four points) off the board was, without question, an extremely bad call... ...Thanks to the ongoing complaints about the Marsh taunting, the far more egregious mistake went largely overlooked."

There were multiple instances where the refs handed Pittsburgh points in that game. The Marsh "taunt." Daniels' "block." Also, don't forget the phantom pass interference on Jaylon Johnson. One play cost the Bears four points and the other two gave the Steelers six more. That is the difference in the football game. There is no shuffling around it. The refs gave Pittsburgh that win.

Cassius Marsh was just one part of a wider issue

It would be one thing if the Steelers were simply the better team than the Bears. While that would sting, it would be much easier to accept. That is not the case here. Chicago outplayed them for long stretches of that game and had that team on the ropes in the second half. Each time the refs seemed to intervene with multiple bogus calls. Some of them that were outright egregious. All one can do is feel bad for Cassius Marsh. He'd just made a huge play in a tight game against the team that had most recently cut him. It should've been a moment of personal vindication for him. Instead the refs turned it into a circus because they were trying to enforce a rule that by its very nature is completely subjective. Relying entirely on the judgement of the men holding those flags.

This doesn't make the game better. It makes it more divisive.

That isn't what the NFL wants. This is just like their decision to remove touchdown celebrations years ago. All it did was make the game less fun. Hence why they eventually removed it. Smart money says the same thing is going to happen down the line with this taunting nonsense. Sadly it won't change the end result for the Bears. They're still 3-6 and now unlikely to make the playoffs.