Over the past two days, three different angles have emerged regarding Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s “side-step right,” right into the general path of Ravens kick returner Jacoby Jones.
There’s another angle, not yet made public, that could support the idea that Tomlin slid to the very edge of the field only after Jones broke free. Per a source with knowledge of the raw coaching tape (not the “all-22" tape publicly available via the NFL’s Game Rewind service), Tomlin takes a clear step toward the edge of the playing field after Jones breaks through the coverage.
As a result, some within the Ravens organization believe Tomlin did it on purpose. From the league’s perspective, intent doesn’t matter. Which could mean that the Steelers and Tomlin are getting whacked for the result, regardless of whether there was a plan.
Meanwhile, another source tells PFT that the Steelers are bracing for a stiff punishment both for the organization and for Tomlin. Anything more than a major fine would be regarded as a surprise. As we reported earlier in the week, all options were on the table when the process began.
By Wednesday, we should all know the answer.