NEW YORK - The NFC Wild Card game between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys became known not merely as the Cowboys' first playoff victory since 2009, but a game that will forever be slightly tarnished with the stain of some peculiar calls from officials.
Or criminal, in the eyes of those in Michigan.
But Tuesday found the National Football League apologetic to the Detroit Lions for what they called a missed penalty in their Sunday meeting in Arlington. Though not the one the team thought deserved an apology.
The league admitted to the Lions that officials mistakenly did not call an illegal holding penalty committed against Ndamukong Suh, their defensive tackle, on a crucial fourth-down conversion with six minutes left in the game.
Were the flag thrown and the penalty accepted, Dallas would have faced a 4th-and-16 on the negative side of the field, with a late three-point deficit and likely would have punted.
Romo instead found tight end Jason Witten for a 21 yard gain on a 4th-and-6 that would shortly after result in the game-winning touchdown pass to Terrance Williams.
An initially thrown flag in the third quarter against Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens for his apparent interference of Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew was infamously picked up with no explanation during the game.
Detroit was leading 20-17 at that point and their resulting 4th-and-1 play found a failed attempt to draw Dallas offsides. The Lions would shank a 10 yard punt that led to the Cowboys' game-winning 59 yard charge.
"They didn't give me a good enough explanation," Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said of his meeting with officials concerning that penalty afterwards.
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