Nickell Robey-Coleman Admits He Committed Pass Interference On Controversial Play
Nickell Robey-Coleman was at the center of controversy Sunday during the NFC Championship Game. As the New Orleans Saints were driving late in the fourth quarter to take the lead over the Los Angeles Rams, Robey-Coleman appeared to commit a clear pass interference penalty. It went uncalled.
Here’s video of the play:
As you can see, Robey-Coleman decked Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis well before the ball arrived. No flag was thrown. It was a key third down play that would have given the Saints a fresh set of downs inside the 10-yard-line and a chance to run the clock out before kicking a field goal to win it.
After the game, Robey-Coleman admitted that he got there early:
Robey Coleman: “Yes, I got there too early. I was beat, and I was trying to save the touchdown.
— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) January 20, 2019
Reporters showed Nickell Robey-Coleman his hit on Tommylee Lewis. His reaction: "Oh hell yea. That was PI."
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 21, 2019
Robey-Coleman is basically saying he was expecting to get the pass inference call, but it would have been better than surrendering a touchdown.
The officials also told him the following:
#Rams DB Nickell Robey-Coleman said the refs told him the ball was tipped so he was free to blast the receiver. Would have been a PI if the ball was not tipped.
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) January 21, 2019
Watching the replay it doesn’t appear the ball was actually tipped, which means it was a bad call all the way around.
At least Robey-Coleman is being upfront and honest about the situation. You can’t fault him for it.