Dallas Decision May Be Good Karma

A controversial call on 11 January this NFL season caused an uproar when the Dallas Cowboys squared off against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were up by six points, and Dallas had the ball with four minutes and forty seconds to go in the fourth quarter on the 33-yard line with a fourth and two situation.

Instead of deciding to throw for short yards with a quick throw or run, Dallas decided to throw long and threw to their main receiver, Dez Bryant. The pass appeared to be an easy catch by Bryant and was downed at the one yard line. Before Dallas could run the next play, Green Bay’s coach, Mike McCarthy, threw a challenge flag.

“That was definitely a catch, no doubt about it,” said sophomore Marckens Griffon.

This appeared to be some sort of karma for Dallas, after the refs of the Dallas/Detroit game last week decided to pick up the flag on a pass interference. The rule surrounding the controversial catch explains that the receiver must maintain control of the ball all the way through the catch. When Bryant hit the ground, the ball also hit the ground and popped out of his arms.

“I think that was a catch; it’s just a stupid rule,”senior Shaq Cobb said.

The NFL issued this statement about the play: “If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”

By rule, it was not a completed catch.