The Chicago Bears fell short in a 35-32 shootout to the Miami Dolphins, where there was questionable officiating in the fourth quarter.
There were two notable penalties that had a negative impact on the Bears, both involving pass interference. And, according to Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports Chicago, the NFL said, upon review, its officials missed on those exact calls.
The first was a pass interference call on Bears safety Eddie Jackson, where his back was to the receiver and he was going for the ball. The NFL admitted the penalty shouldn’t have been called, per Shapiro.
#Bears safety Eddie Jackson on this pass interference penalty: “He said he didn’t see me playing the ball. I mean, I didn’t look at the receiver one time, so I don’t know what he was seeing.” pic.twitter.com/Ddj9mBZ8XM
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) November 6, 2022
“Play the ball, try to turn into a receiver, as we’re taught as DBs,” Jackson said after the game, via NBC Sports Chicago. “So as I’m playing the ball, I’m thinking I’m there and I feel the guy hit me, so it’s like I don’t know what they’re calling. I thought it was offensive PI, then the ref called it on me. So I turned to him and said, ‘Yo, how is that a flag?’ He said he didn’t see me playing the ball.
“I don’t know what to say. You’re a referee, you’re right on the side, I don’t know how you didn’t see me play the ball. Replay will show you, I didn’t look at the receiver once the whole time. I was playing the ball the whole way in the air, so it’s like, it’s crazy.”
The second — and most egregious — was a no-call on blatant pass interference, where Bears receiver Chase Claypool had two arms wrapped around him and was pulled down before the ball got to him. The NFL admitted the penalty should have been called, per Shapiro.
If this is Tyreek Hill, they call DPI.
Refs gotta do better. pic.twitter.com/rdA5WEvTfM
— dave (@runbackdave) November 6, 2022
“Justin (Fields) threw me a good ball to give me a chance, then I felt like I was pulled back a little bit,” Claypool said after the game. “Still gotta try to fight through that and get that, because you can’t count on someone else. Can only count on myself.
“I thought especially after the one that was called on us that I thought for sure (it was a penalty), but it doesn’t really matter what I think.”
While the Jackson penalty ultimately didn’t lead to points — Chicago stopped Miami on fourth-and-1 — the Claypool penalty ultimately lost the Bears the game.
A pass interference call would’ve set the Bears up inside Miami’s 25-yard line, which would’ve been enough for Cairo Santos to tie the game with a field goal or give Chicago a chance to win the game. Instead, the Bears fell short on fourth-and-10 after Equanimeous St. Brown dropped a beautiful ball from Fields.
