# NFL 2021: Week Nine Lives **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [November 4, 2021, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804 "2021-11-04T17:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/61 "2021-11-09T03:53:44Z")
The refs have favored the Steelers for decades, nothing new here. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/62 "2021-11-09T04:36:29Z")
Oh man, what a beautiful kick that was. I thought it was going to make it. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/63 "2021-11-09T04:37:20Z")
It looked like a donk from the high end zone camera, and then from the side it’s like 10 yards short. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/64 "2021-11-09T14:06:25Z")
It fooled the announcer guy too. He thought it was off the crossbar, in fact it was well short. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/65 "2021-11-09T14:07:42Z")
Correct if I am not remembering correctly, but didn’t the Bears use a timeout on the Pittsburgh field goal attempt with about 25 seconds remaining? Wouldn’t it have been better to save it for the ensuing drive? ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/66 "2021-11-09T14:19:38Z")
Without the Chicago time out, the Steelers would’ve run the clock down to a few seconds before kicking their FG. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/67 "2021-11-09T14:22:44Z")
okay, thanks I was under the mistaken impression that the clock had stopped and the Bears were just using a timeout to ice the kicker. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/68 "2021-11-09T14:26:45Z")
The clock did stop temporarily so they could measure for first down after Ben’s run. But it would’ve resumed running if the Bears hadn’t used their TO. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/69 "2021-11-09T16:50:21Z")
Allow me a little bit of homerism here, but the Patriots are crawling back into playoff contention. They ground-and-pounded the #2 ranked Panthers rush defense on Sunday and the defense had Sam Darnold seeing ghosts again. With the Bills putting up a major stinker against the Jaguars, the Pats are only 1/2 game back of the division lead, with two games against the Bills still to go. They are committing a lot of penalties and Mac Jones is still a rookie, but they continue to improve and they definitely have a shot at the post-season at this point. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/70 "2021-11-09T19:36:31Z")
Man My team just got abused by the Browns. Burrow has not looked good last couple games, forcing the ball. But this season is crazy. Jags beat the Bills and they didn’t even score a TD? The Bears came back? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/71 "2021-11-09T19:46:24Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Bears get absolutely hosed on a call, followed by two questionable no-calls on the Steelers. Cost them four points. The officiating was a disgrace. That crew should be assigned to the teams with the worst records in the most meaningless noon games left on the schedule for the rest of the year. If the NFL had a game in Siberia between two semi-pro teams, that’s where I would send them. They had better not be a playoff crew! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/72 "2021-11-09T20:16:28Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > the Patriots are crawling back into playoff contention. The Pats have an interesting matchup this Sunday against the Browns. Both teams ae 5-4 and in the playoff hunt. Should be a good game. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/73 "2021-11-09T20:32:16Z")
I know that they are trying to crack down on “taunting” but they got a Bears player because he apparently stared too long at the Steelers sideline after making a big play. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/74 "2021-11-09T20:39:42Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > I know that they are trying to crack down on “taunting” but they got a Bears player because he apparently stared too long at the Steelers sideline after making a big play That happened with just under four minutes to play, and it would have been 4th and long. Steelers would have had to punt. Instead they kept the ball and ended up with a FG on that drive. And they won the game by two points. I don’t know what the Bears coach said in the post-game presser, but I hope he ripped the officials. Chicago got royally reamed in that game. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/75 "2021-11-09T20:45:00Z")
I struggle to understand what the NFL’s purpose in supporting Pittsburgh with officiating is. This is certainly not the first time people have complained about lopsided officiating in favor of the Steelers - look at Super Bowl XL, considered the worst-officiated Super Bowl of all time, and SBXLIII three years later, and a variety of other calls that have bizarrely gone Pittsburgh’s way. If there is a purpose, what is it? The Steelers are popular, yes, but not as big a revenue or ratings draw as the Cowboys, for instance. Pittsburgh is a relatively small market. Glamor? The Steelers aren’t exactly glamorous; in fact, they pride themselves on a blue-collar image. Grit? There are other teams that are just as gritty that don’t get this favorable treatment. It can’t be for the sake of expanding fandom into new territory; Steelers country is as old and entrenched as NFL country can possibly be and they already have 6 titles. What’s the motive here? ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/76 "2021-11-09T20:55:41Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > … they got a Bears player because he apparently stared too long at the Steelers sideline after making a big play. Considering its absurd lack of substance and its effect on the game, I’d call the taunting flag on Cassius Marsh one of the worst penalty decisions ever. How in heck did the NFL come to believe its fans want to see potentially game-deciding penalties applied for trivial actions that would attract no attention on a kindergarten playground? ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/77 "2021-11-09T21:02:09Z")
I don’t know, but I have only been watching football regularly since the pandemic began, and I am extremely naïve about the game, but watching last nights game was just horrifying to the legalistic freak that I am. I really don’t care about one team or another in this match, but man was that awful. If I say the same level of “mistakes” all going one way in a cricket match or a football (soccer) game, there’d be some kind of investigation about the betting activity on the game. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/78 "2021-11-09T21:10:56Z")
Not good for the Browns, Chubb and Felton both positive for Covid. They’re both vaccinated at least. > **[Browns’ RBs Nick Chubb and Demetric Felton tested positive for COVID-19,...](https://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-41112311-4)** > > Read more on ESPN ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/79 "2021-11-09T22:47:51Z")
This is what I don’t understand - why the NFL is so fragile about emotions but not about bodies. I mean, we’re talking about a league in which the game is for one 300-pound man to slam into another guy at full force and speed, potentially breaking his bones. If the game is already that brutal _ **physically** _, why are the refs so afraid of another player being offended _ **psychologically** _ by a little bit of a taunting stare? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804/80 "2021-11-09T23:20:23Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If the game is already that brutal _ **physically** _ , why are the refs so afraid of another player being offended _ **psychologically** _ by a little bit of a taunting stare? Racism. Old rich white guys don’t like the imagery of a Black man being disrespectful. > **[Deadspin | Yes, the NFL's taunting penalty is racist](https://deadspin.com/yes-the-nfls-taunting-penalty-is-racist-1847716682/)** > > Deadspin | Yes, the NFL's taunting penalty is racist [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2021-week-nine-lives/953804.md?page=5)