How does this keep happening in the NFL?

Chicago Bears cornerback Marcus Cooper Sr. had a sure touchdown ahead of him after recovering a blocked field goal. All he had to do was run straight ahead and not get cocky.

Instead he went full Leon Lett.

Cooper began pulling up just before the 10-yard line to start celebrating a touchdown he had yet to score. For some reason that he’s going to have to explain to his coaches, he thought this was a good idea.

The aftermath of this play was just as confusing as Cooper’s actions. The refs originally called the play dead and signaled the end of the half. Bears coach John Fox was furious on the sideline while arguing that the Steelers pushed the ball out of the end zone which should give Chicago a safety. After a lengthy review, the refs called the Steelers for illegally batting the ball out of the end zone and gave the Bears the ball back on the goal line with no time on the clock. Chicago used the opportunity for a field goal – only after a false start penalty pushed it back 5 yards as the Bears were attempting to get that touchdown back on the final play of the half.

The Bears went from thinking they had six points, to arguing for two points, to lining up for an all-or-nothing play, to settling for three points. And they should be outraged over every aspect of it despite a 17-7 halftime lead.

This isn’t quite as bad as DeSean Jackson dropping the ball at the goal line but it’s right there with it. So much had gone right for the Bears in the first half. Jordan Howard looked like himself again with 74 yards and a touchdown, while the Steelers struggled to get going. To make a mistake like this as a home underdog shows why so many in Chicago are upset with their team.

The fact that the Bears came away with a 23-17 overtime victory, however, may have just helped Cooper keep his job.

– – – – – –

Blake Schuster is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Schustee