Dallas Cowboys vs Green Bay Packers: 'Dez Caught It' Revisited

As the Green Bay Packers set to face the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Pound of the NFL Playoffs we look back at their controversial 2015 playoff game.

The NFL is funny. They seem to always luck into some crazy dramatic story that draws some serious attention. This weekend for instance, we have the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers employ Todd Haley as offensive coordinator, who was once a head coach for the Chiefs.

In New England, the Patriots will host the Houston Texans. There we have former Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien as the head coach against his old team. Along with him are defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who held the same title in New England and a former Pats star linebacker Mike Vrabel who coaches that same position in Houston.

Then in Atlanta, the Seahawks are heading to town to face their former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is the coach of the Falcons. All those storylines are pretty cool and will be talked about a good bit during the games. There is one storyline, though, that will capture the headlines not only during the game itself, but in the days leading up to the clash.

On Sunday the Green Bay Packers head to Texas to face the number one seed Dallas Cowboys in a rematch of the 2015 Divisional Round game which can simply be referred to as the “Dez caught it” game.

No matter which side you stand on, everyone knows which controversial game is being mentioned by that phrase. It was the Cowboys first chance at going to the NFC Championship game in years after just knocking off the Detroit Lions in their own controversial way. They traveled north to the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field and they saw their hopes at winning consecutive playoff games dashed on a fourth-and-2 play in which quarterback Tony Romo threw a lob pass for wide receiver Dez Bryant.

Originally called a catch, the refs then went under the hood to review. They then watched the replay in which Bryant catches the ball, places it in his dominate hand and then dives for the goal line. As he dove the ball bounced up and the officials say Bryant lost control and didn’t complete the act of a catch.

To this day the call has forever changed the idea of what is a catch and what is not. The rules have changed and are more confusing than ever. The average NFL fan has no clue what constitutes a catch any more and in all honesty NFL refs have even less of a clue. It was an iconic game, and one that will be looked back upon for years. So who are we to fight it? Let’s break down the contest between the Packers and Cowboys in January of 2015.

Jan 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) fumbles the ball as he is hit by Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers (56) in the third quarter in the second half in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Game Summary

The Dallas Cowboys were the road warriors of the NFL during the 2014 season. They went 8-0 on the road and were in no way intimidated by going to Green Bay in the frigid weather. The Green Bay Packers were just as good at home as Dallas was on the road, going 8-0 in their own stadium.

Dallas had made a habit of getting teams out of rhythm all season long by sustaining clock-killing drives. They featured the NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, and handed the Pack a heavy dose of the bruising back. Murray rushed 25 times for 123 yards and had a touchdown as well. The formula was working as Dallas had raced out to a 14-10 lead with their plan of keeping Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the sidelines. Then everything changed in the Packers favor.

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While most credit the controversial no-catch for the loss, things unraveled for Dallas well before that play. With the one-score lead after halftime the Dallas defense stopped Green Bay on their first possession of the third quarter. They were then handed amazing field position thanks to a 16-yard pass interference penalty, which was followed up with an offsides penalty against Green Bay.

The following play was a handoff to Murray, who had a nice lane in front of him which could have allowed Dallas to capitalize on the lead. Instead, Murray was stripped of the ball by outside linebacker Julius Peppers, the only guy he needed to beat. The ball was turned over and Green Bay pulled within one point on a field goal.

Dallas then scored to go up, 21-13, but things may have been wildly different had Murray been able to hold onto the ball. The Boys opened the door slightly for A-Rod and company and their next touchdown stretched the lead to just eight, rather than a much more daunting 11.

From there the defense finally broke, which is bound to happen when Rodgers is still hanging in games. The Cowboys fell behind, 26-21, and were now looking for a miracle when they saw their hopes dashed on the no-catch ruling regarding Bryant. The game ended at the same score as Green Bay simply milked the clock.

Jan 11, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) is unable to catch a pass against Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) in the fourth quarter in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

So…Was it a Catch?

Well to anyone who hates the Cowboys, it wasn’t a catch. According to NFL officials and executives, it wasn’t a catch. However to most people who trust their eyes, it surely was a catch and a huge blunder by officials. Even other NFL players (like a divisional rival of the Boys, Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr.) believed it was a catch.

Of course, opinions don’t really matter, because in the end it will always go down as an incomplete pass. However, you be the judge. Here was the play in question, which is still a touchy subject for many.

Clearly Bryant had the ball and, unlike what some of the NFL officials say, he did make a football move. By moving the ball to his dominant hand and diving to score, Bryant clearly made not one, but two football moves.

The kicker is that the refs failed to follow their own rules. Announcers drill it into our heads non-stop that there needs to be inconclusive evidence to overturn calls made on the field. If this play is still being debated two years later, there was obviously not inconclusive evidence to an incomplete pass.

In the end, it’s all just good for talk. The cast of the losing team has changed dramatically as the Cowboys have a new quarterback, rookie Dak Prescott, and running back, fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott. These two will have more to say about the outcome of Sunday’s Divisional Playoff meeting than anything that happened two seasons ago.

What will be interesting, though, is seeing how Bryant approaches this game. The often excitable wide receiver has been hoping for this exact rematch for two seasons. Let’s hope he doesn’t drop the ball in regards to this opportunity.