Officials Pick Up Flag Leading Directly to Cowboys’ Playoff Win

(AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

By Jeremy Gottlieb

January 4, 2015

2 minutes to read

UPDATE: Josh Katzenstein, Lions’ beat writer for The Detroit News, tweeted out the pool report with quotes from Morelli after the game. The referee explains that he and the rest of his crew received “other information from another official from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference.’’ Morelli also notes within the report that he “probably’’ should have waited to announce the call and when asked if he remembers this type of play happening before, responded, “no, not particularly.’’

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ORIGINAL STORY: It wouldn’t be a day that ends in the letter “Y’’ without some sort of controversy surrounding the NFL.

In the fourth quarter of the Lions/Cowboys Wild Card game in Dallas with Detroit leading 20-17, the officials picked up a third down flag for pass interference on Dallas with no explanation after referee Pete Morelli announced the penalty. Instead of having a first down, the Lions were forced to punt, the kick was shanked, traveling just 10 yards, and the Cowboys took over with great field position at their own 41.

Eleven plays and two penalties on Detroit later, the Cowboys scored the go-ahead touchdown and went on to win 24-20.

Hmm. Wonder what the officials told Lions’ coach Jim Caldwell.

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It should probably be mentioned here that the game was indeed played in Dallas, in the presence of owner Jerry Jones, in his multi-billion dollar palace known as AT&T Stadium in some places and “Jerry World’’ in others. It should also be known that a Cowboys’ win means a matchup with the Green Bay Packers next weekend, a game that will be sure to garner far bigger TV ratings than if it were the Carolina Panthers heading to Lambeau Field, which would have been the matchup had the Lions won (they’d have played at Seattle under those circumstances).

And finally, it should probably be known that NFL head of officiating Dean Blandino was spotted hanging out and laughing it up with Jones and his son Stephen (a Cowboys’ executive) on a Cowboys’ party bus last summer.

Conspiracy? Perhaps. Here’s former league head of officiating and current FOX Sports’ rules expert Mike Pereira on the call.

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Oh well. At least we can all agree that it’s great to see New Jersey governor/noted Cowboys’ fan Chris Christie so happy.

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