Mike Tomlin didn't think he would be fined after being contacted by the league Monday regarding his comments about the officiating in last Sunday's 41-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
He was wrong.
The NFL fined Tomlin $25,000 on Wednesday for his critical comments after that game. Tomlin was especially infuriated by two roughing the passer penalties that were called in the game, one on T.J. Watt, the other on Jon Bostic.
Watt barely brushed the leg of Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, who then fell to the ground, drawing the penalty. Bostic, meanwhile, was penalized for pushing Ryan as he got up off the pile following a sack. Defensive end Stephon Tuitt told me the two players had equipment stuck together, and Bostic was attempting to get free.
The Steelers felt Ryan took a dive on the Watt penalty but didn't blame him.
"If I'm a quarterback, I'm going to sell it too," Watt said. "If I was him, I would too. The 15 yards helps your team a lot. I would do it too."
Following the game, Tomlin said, "Some of the other stuff, man, is a joke. We’ve got to get better as the National Football League. Man, these penalties are costing people games and jobs. We’ve got to get them correct. And so I'm pissed about it, to be quite honest with you. But that's all I'm going to say on it.”
The Falcons scored 10 of their 17 points in the game on the drives in which Watt and Bostic were penalized.
"He's doing his job," Watt said of Tomlin's complaint. "It's not my job to complain about the refs, because my opinion means absolutely nothing."