Steelers Survive Bears Scare: Breakdown Of Thrilling Win

Pittsburgh PA

09 November, 2021

7:53 AM

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PITTSBURGH, PA — Thanks largely due to a controversial taunting call against the visiting team and Chirs Boswell's last-minute field goal, the Steelers were able to survive a ferocious comeback attempt by the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Here's what NFL writers across the country are saying about the 29-27 win: Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports: "It wasn't smooth, as they repeatedly refused to put the Bears away, but they won chiefly because they played their kind of game: control the ball on offense, and get nasty on defense. Ben Roethlisberger was uneven and rarely threatening, but he offset his blunders (a near-pick, some big sacks, a near-fumble on a pump fake) with tight spirals and even a splash of mobility on some key downs."Jason Owens, Yahoo Sports: "A game filled with controversial calls saw the most contentious flagthrown late in the fourth quarter (after) Bears linebacker and ex-Steeler Cassius Marsh sacked Ben Roethlisberger for a 7-yard loss. Marsh appeared to say something to the Pittsburgh players. He didn't make any gestures, and he wasn't in anybody's face. In fact, he wasn't close to a Steeler. Officials flagged him for taunting, nonetheless."Alyssa Barbieri, USA Today: While you don't want to blame refs for a team winning or losing, it was hard to watch the Bears-Steelers game and not come away believing that Tony Corrente and his crew had the worst officiated game of the season —and it wasn't even close."Brooke Pryor, ESPN: "The Steelers entered Monday night as a significant favorite over the woeful Bears and came out on the other side with a win. But it was hardly a dominant performance over an inferior opponent...To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Steelers have to win the easy ones,the ones against the rookie quarterbacks and rebuilding teams. They almost didn't do that Monday night."Nick Shook, NFL.com: "(Offensive coordinator) Matt Canada's offense is starting to mature into a palatable attack. Whether it's the sudden improvement from rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth or the pre-snap misdirection that opens up lanes for runs and short completions, this Steelers offense has grown into a creative scheme that's difficult to defend."Next: Steelers vs. the Detroit Lions, Sunday at 1 p.m., Heinz Field. Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.