Jason Witten

Lions want NFL to review body-slam tackle of Ezekiel Elliott that drew a flag

Published Dec. 27, 2016 4:18 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

The Dallas Cowboys left little doubt in their 42-21 victory over the Detroit Lions on Monday night, but Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is still puzzled by an unnecessary roughness penalty and wants the league to review it.

The play in question occurred in the third quarter, when Detroit defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson lifted Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott off the ground and threw him down. The play drew a 15-yard penalty during a Cowboys drive that eventually was punctuated by Dez Bryant’s touchdown pass to Jason Witten, giving Dallas a 35-21 lead.

"You know I don't get into talking about officials and what they call and what they didn't call," Caldwell said, via ESPN. "I yell at 'em and tell them what I felt on the field and when it's over, it's over. The call they made, they made.

"They're not going to go back and change it and we have a way in which we can voice our opinion without necessarily talking to the media about it because it doesn't really function that way in terms of our system so we'll use the protocol, the proper vehicle to do just that."

After the game, Elliott accused Robinson of “being dirty all game” and added that Robinson is probably still “a little salty” from the 2015 Sugar Bowl, where Elliott’s Ohio State Buckeyes beat Robinson’s Alabama Crimson Tide.

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