Mike Tomlin Addresses Controversial Call Against Steelers

PITTSBURGH — In the third quarter of the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was flagged for unnecessary roughness after making contact with what looked like a defenseless wide receiver in Adonai Mitchell.

Fitzpatrick looked like he was attempting to avoid the contact, slowing down and moving much of his body away from Mitchell. That being said, he still hit Mitchell after he was unable to corral the pass from Joe Flacco.

Many people took exception to the flag, including former referee and current rules analyst Gene Steratore and Steelers safety Deshon Elliot. One of the most notable voices to speak up was head coach Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin spoke about the call during his weekly press conference today, highlighting his thoughts on the call.

“I didn’t like that call. I talked to New York yesterday, they didn’t like that call as well, but that doesn’t help me on a Monday,” Tomlin said. “The officials aren’t perfect. None of us are. We make mistakes in-game that we have to overcome, and if they make a mistake in-game, we better be prepared to overcome that as well.”

It’s important to note Tomlin’s point about it being set in stone. At the end of it all, you cannot dwell on plays that you believe you executed well that didn’t go your way. There is nothing, at least in the eyes of the team, that could have been done so you must move on.

Additionally, it is important to note that this missed call was not the only reason the Steelers ended up losing the game. As a coach and players it is important not to have the reason for winning or losing be penalties and other things out of the team’s control. Ideally, a team should not rely on penalties calls in one direction or another and should perform well enough that they do not matter.

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