Polling Place: On Cassius Marsh call, Justin Fields’ development, Bears’ final record

Many Bears fans hadn’t even heard of Cassius Marsh before the team’s 29-27 loss Monday to the Steelers in Pittsburgh. By the end of the game, however, Marsh was trending on social media, his name on the fingertips of an army of angry posters.

On a night when the Bears were flagged for 12 penalties and left town with more laundry than a college freshman heading home for Thanksgiving, a late taunting penalty against Marsh struck many as unjustified.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we asked about Marsh taking a few steps toward — and then staring at — the Steelers’ sideline after a sack. Whom to blame: the refs, the rules or Marsh?

“Refs” won the vote — but not the comments — by a wide margin.

“The rule is stupid,” @DadsThumb wrote, “but it’s on the player for not being aware that it’s a point of emphasis for the refs.”

“The league has said the refs were correct,” @zevyr noted, “so clearly the issue is the rule or Marsh.”

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: In hindsight, where do you place the most blame for Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh’s controversial taunting foul Monday in Pittsburgh?

Upshot: It’s always easiest to blame the stripes. They hate our team! They need new glasses! They need to be full-time employees of the NFL! Actually, they do need to be full-time employees of the NFL. Meanwhile, this from @dabigdog6: “There is a discipline problem on the team, and it starts with Matt Nagy.” Come to think of it, Nagy might be the only guy who takes more constant abuse than the refs.

Poll No. 2: How sold are you on Justin Fields as the franchise quarterback the Bears need going forward?

Upshot: Against the Steelers, Fields was magnificent. After looking at these poll results, though, it’s almost like he never even had those nightmarish outings against the Browns and the Buccaneers. Wait, are we still allowed to mention those? “Looks like a lot of Bears fans are drinking the Kool-Aid about Fields,” @kelspsych22 wrote. Come on, man. The kid is starting to look pretty dang good.

Poll No. 3: The Bears are 3-6 with eight games to go. How many more will they win?

Upshot: As @pnutfinger sees it: “The only games I feel strongly about them winning are Detroit and the Giants.” Some of us find it hard to feel strongly about the Bears winning any game against any opponent. Have you met these Bears? The lion’s share of the vote went to three to five more wins, though. Dare to dream, people!