I'm sorry for what you experienced, that is definitely a frustrating experience.
First, safety first, if a pilot things the tire needs further examination, it should be done as that can lead to even worse problems.
I know this is definitely not helpful now, but in the future, sometimes if you pull aside a flight attendant and ask them about your tight connection, especially if you attach a truthful story of needing to make it otherwise you'll miss the "insert event here," they will contact the people on the ground, and they'll do everything they can for you to make the connection. It's not guaranteed because they want to affect the least amount of passengers, but sometimes asking them while in the air helps a lot (be sure to be friendly when doing so). I know it seems unnecessary because "customer service" but like I said, they try to affect the least number of passengers, so that often means not holding a flight for a singular passenger. Plus, you may have made the flight, but your checked bag wouldn't have and people would still be complaining. It's really a lose-lose for the airline, as they seem to not be able to do anything right in the eyes of some people.
-Andrew E
DEN Based | Aviation Enthusiast
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