Maybe it’s coincidence. But 24 hours after Baltimore Ravens HC John Harbaugh noted he had a lengthy conversation with the NFL’s New York office over several controversial calls in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin says he has no desire to get on the phone to talk about spilled milk.
“I’ve kind of learned to move on,” Tomlin said Tuesday via the team’s YouTube channel when asked about handling debatable in-game calls from referees. “I moved on from Jesse James, for example. I don’t even know what year that was.
“There’s going to be controversial calls in big games. I think I always focus my energy on making enough plays to minimize that in terms of determining the outcome of the game. That’s why you won’t hear me calling New York postgame and things of that nature. It’s not going to change the outcome. I just work to keep moving.”
Upset post-game and on Monday, Harbaugh said he and the Ravens’ front office had an extended phone call with the NFL’s office in New York for clarity on three important rulings during Sunday’s game: DL Travis Jones’ personal foul on a Chris Boswell field goal, QB Aaron Rodgers’ completion that was initially ruled an interception, and TE Isaiah Likely’s incompletion that was initially ruled a touchdown.
With the NFL’s blessing, Harbaugh said the league admitted making the wrong call on Jones’ penalty. The league seemingly stood by its other two calls. Answers that did not satisfy Harbaugh.
“It didn’t clear anything up,” Harbaugh told reporters Monday. “It didn’t make it any easier to understand either one of the two calls. It’s very hard to understand how it gets overturned.”
Harbaugh also said the NFL’s rules over what is – and what isn’t – a catch are “clear as mud.” Tomlin, however, had a different take.
“I do,” Tomlin said when asked if he felt comfortable and confident in knowing what constitutes a catch.
It should be noted Tomlin has called “New York” several times throughout his tenure, including recently. Last year, Tomlin spoke with New York for clarification on Minkah Fitzpatrick’s leverage call against the Jets, a call the league admitted was incorrect on the field. Earlier that year, he spoke with the league about a separate penalty on Fitzpatrick against the Indianapolis Colts.
Tomlin and Harbaugh share plenty of mutual respect. In many ways, the two are the faces of the current Steelers-Ravens rivalry. The NFL’s two longest-tenured head coaches, players and rosters have changed over time, but Tomlin and Harbaugh remain at the top. Only George Halas and Curly Lambeau have ever met more often than those two. Even if unintentional, Tomlin’s comments can’t help but feel like a dig at Harbaugh and the Ravens, who are still steaming over what they feel like were game-changing calls against them.
No matter who still feels content or upset, the division race isn’t over for either side. If Baltimore wins out, it will still capture the AFC North. But Pittsburgh is still in control of its destiny. The division, and the season, could come down to the rematch in Week 18.