Nickell Robey-Coleman Fined $26,739 for Infamous Unflagged Hit in NFC Title Game
Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman has been fined $26,739 for his unflagged hit on Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis in Sunday's NFC Championship Game, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Robey-Coleman will appeal the fine, reports NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Fans have been upset since Sunday over referees appearing to miss a blatant pass interference call late in the Rams' 26–23 win over the Saints in the NFC title game.
The controversial no-call came with under two minutes left in the game with the Saints on the Rams 13-yard line. On a third-and-10 situation, quarterback Drew Brees threw an incomplete pass to Lewis and Robey-Coleman appeared to interfere.
The Saints had to settle for a field goal to make the score 23–20 and give Los Angeles one last drive attempt. The Rams then tied up the game with a field goal with 15 seconds to play. In overtime, Los Angeles kicked a 57-yard field goal to win and advance to the Super Bowl.
After the game, Robey-Coleman admitted to committing a penalty when Washington Post reporter Adam Kilgore showed the play to the cornerback, who had yet to see it.
"Oh, hell yeah," he said, according to Kilgore. "That was PI [pass interference]."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league have yet to address the no-call, but fining Robey-Coleman shows that referees should have thrown a flag for an illegal hit.
