Maybe Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Lawrence Timmons won’t get fined after all for his Sunday third quarter hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Cody Kessler. In fact, head coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t even think Timmons should have been flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play in question.
“He missed him,” Tomlin said Monday when asked if he’s had a chance to look at that play. He would later add, “I disagree with the call.”
Tomlin said immediately after Sunday’s win that he thought the game against the Browns included a lot of bad calls, or “missed calls.” With Tomlin not normally one to criticize officials and calls, he was asked Monday what prompted him doing just that after Sunday’s game and if he’s heard from the league yet because of the comments that he made.
“I didn’t,” Tomlin said. “I was just kind of disturbed by some of it. It’s a natural human response. I know those guys have a tough job. I respect the job that they have to do, but we have tough jobs as well.”
Tomlin was later asked if he thinks officiating should be a full-time job as opposed to a part-time job like it is now.
“I’ve expressed my opinion regarding that repeatedly over the years. I believe that’s a discussion that needs to be had, but more so than the discussion, I think it needs to move in that direction and move relatively quickly,” Tomlin said. “But there are politics and so forth involved in that. Labor and so forth involved in that. I get it, but it would be nice if that process gets going.”
As for Timmons, we should find out fairly soon if the league agrees with Tomlin’s assessment of the hit in question.
