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Dallas Cowboys Eliminated From Playoffs After Controversial Ruling, Jason Garrett, Dez Bryant & More React

January 12, 2015
Rocko Rathon

The irony of it all

The Dallas Cowboys made somewhat of a resurgence during the 2014 NFL season, winning the NFC East with a 12-4 record while also having the leagues leading rusher Demarco Murray coming out of the backfield. The Boys went on to win their wildcard playoff game against the Detroit Lions on a late game reversed pass interference call which sparked much controversy. The win marked the second playoff victory for Dallas in the past 17 years.

During Sunday’s divisional round matchup against the Green Bay Packers, the controversy continued for Dallas, this time not in their favor. Trailing 26-21 in the final quarter on a 4th and 2, Tony Romo heaved a 31 yard pass to Dez Bryant, with the wideout seemingly catching it near the end zone. Initially ruled a catch, it would have put Dallas in scoring position but was instead overturned by referee Gene Steratore during a booth review. The Cowboys then helplessly watched the Packers run out the clock on their miraculous season.

With Cowboys Nation in an uproar, NFL head of officials Dean Blandino took to his Twitter account to clear things up.

After the game, Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett scoffed at the reversal:

“Obviously it was ruled a catch at the outset,” “What they describe to us all the time is ‘a move common to the game,’ and Dez reached out for the goal line like he’s done so many times. He maintained possession of it throughout, in my opinion.”

Dez Bryant voiced his frustrations on Twitter, pleading with the league to change the rule.

During the postgame press conference, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers agreed with the reversal, likening it to the Lions’ Calvin Johnson receiving a similar call back in 2010.

“Well, everybody knows the Calvin Johnson rule,” Rodgers said. “I remember watching the film of that game and saying ‘How in the heck is that not a catch?’ But it’s been a few years since then and you know you have to control the ball all the way to the ground, so when I saw the replay, I was confident that it would be an incomplete pass.”

In what can only be described as a cruel irony, after falling to the Cowboys during wildcard weekend on a debatable call by the referees, the Detroit Lions extended their sorrow to the Cowboys on Twitter, supporting Rodgers claim.