Exactly 10 years ago today, Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys had their playoff run thwarted after a late fourth-quarter catch was overturned in a game that would come to be known as “Dez Caught It” or the “No-Catch Game.”
The controversial call in the 2014 divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers forced a Dallas turnover on downs with less than five minutes remaining and ultimately cost the Cowboys their chance at a win and a conference championship berth.
Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and break down what happened on January 11, 2015:
Setting the scene
The Cowboys (12-4) were facing the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers (12-4) at Lambeau Field. Dallas came into the matchup as the No. 3 seed and NFC East champions, while Green Bay came in as the No. 2 seed with a first-round bye as the NFC North divisional champions.
It marked the first time the two teams met in the playoffs in 19 years since the 1995 NFC Championship Game.
The infamous call
Green Bay was up by five points in the fourth quarter when Dallas started what would be its final drive of the game.
With 4:42 left on the game clock on fourth-and-2, quarterback Tony Romo threw a deep left pass to Bryant, who looked to have completed the 31-yard catch to put Dallas at Green Bay’s 1-yard line. Bryant, covered by Packers cornerback Sam Shields, proceeded to reach the ball over the goal line for a touchdown.
Photo by David E. Klutho /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
After the officials reviewed the tape, the call was reversed to an incomplete pass after it was determined that Bryant did not secure the ball before hitting the ground and only regained control after it hit the ground. Per the rules at the time, the pass did not meet the criteria for a completed catch.
The Cowboys handed the ball back to the Packers with 4:06 to go, and the rest is history. Green Bay went on to win 26-21 and advanced to the conference title game, where it lost to Seattle by a similar margin, 28-22.
The legacy
The outrage from the call prompted a social media outcry accompanied by the hashtag #DezCaughtIt, prompting the game’s now iconic nickname.
The call also impacted the future of the completed catch rule, which has since been updated by the NFL.
(Ron Jenkins/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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