NFL

Coughlin defends Tomlin: Sideline can be a tight squeeze

Anyone who has seen Tom Coughlin operate on the Giants sideline knows the veteran head coach quite often strays very close to the field, sometimes even stepping foot on the green grass or turf before he is admonished and told to move back.

Coughlin, though, has never done what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did during the Thanksgiving game against the Ravens. Tomlin interfered with a play and caused so much of a controversy that on Wednesday the NFL fined him $100,000 and may take a draft pick away from the Steelers “because the conduct affected a play on the field.”

Coughlin said it is often a tight squeeze on the sideline during games.

“Right now there’s so much a premium on ‘You better stay off the white, you better stay off the white,’ we’re all yelling and screaming that,’’ Coughlin said Wednesday. “We’re all reminded by the officials about that every week, too.’’

Tomlin ran into trouble in the third quarter of the Ravens’ 22-20 win Thursday when he was standing on the restricted white border between the sideline and field during Jacoby Jones’ kickoff return. Jones had to change direction to avoid colliding with Tomlin and was tackled after a 73-yard return – a return that might have gone for a touchdown if not for Jones having to swerve to avoid hitting Tomlin, who actually stepped onto the field before he jumped back onto the white border.

Tomlin explained his bizarre actions by saying he was “mesmerized” by watching the return on the video board. He called his actions “embarrassing, inexcusable, illegal and a blunder,” but insisted it was not intentional.

Coughlin said given the intensity of the game he at times has lost sight of where he is standing, but knows getting a penalty in that situation would be deadly.

“You find yourself sometimes running down the sideline on the white but nevertheless you’re not even supposed to be on the white because the officials have to have access there,’’ Coughlin said, “and that is a most difficult penalty to absorb.’’