Mike Tomlin passionately defended Trai Turner in his postgame presser Sunday, prompting the veteran lineman to publicly "thank Mike T."
But does Tomlin really know what Turner did?
The fracas began during the third quarter, when Turner was ejected from the contest after he and Raiders offensive lineman Solomon Thomas were both flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Tomlin passionately argued against Turner's removal and backed up his player at the podium.
"Somebody spit in his face," Tomlin told reporters, per The Athletic. So I understand the 15-yard penalties and so forth, gaining control of the game and stuff. I just — Trai is not a young guy. He's not overly emotional; he's a flat-liner. For him to respond the way that he responded, what transpired had to transpire."
While it's admirable for Tomlin to support Turner— one of the many reasons he's a great players' coach — his steadfast defense suggests he isn't aware that Turner spat on Thomas. Replay shows Turner hocking a loogie towards him.
Is the Steelers head coach really going to tactilely condone one of his players spitting on an opponent? That is one dirty and disrespectful trick, even if it's done in retaliation.
Also, Tomlin must know spitting on another player almost always leads to an ejection. He's been in the game long enough to know that's not tolerated at any level.
With a depleted offensive line, the Steelers can't afford to lose Turner in the middle of a game. The reasoning for his outburst may have been righteous, but the consequences were severe. Roethlisberger was hit a grand total of 10 times Sunday.
Defending oneself is fine. It becomes a problem when it negatively impacts the team. No head coach should ever support that.
