Report: NFL Admits To Lions Refs Should Have Called Hold On Game-Winning Drive
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - The aftermath of the Detroit Lions-Dallas Cowboys game continues.
The furor Monday concentrated on a flag thrown for pass interference that was picked up without explanation, and upon review the league acknowledged that a defensive hold should have been called earlier in that play and that Dez Bryant could have been flagged for running onto the field at the end of the play to protest the pass interference call.
Tuesday, the NFL reportedly admitted to the Lions that the referees muffed another call, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"NFL admitted to Lions today that officials missed a hold on Ndamukong Suh on the 4th-down conversion from Tony Romo to Jason Witten with 6 minutes left in the game [after the controversial Brandon Pettigrew play and before the Dallas TD]," Schefter wrote in a Facebook post. "Had holding been called, it would have put Cowboys in 4th and 16 on Detroit side of the field. Dallas would have punted and Detroit still would have the lead. One person said that this is 'even worse than the PI call/no call.'"
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell said the team would not use the picking up of the flag as an excuse for losing the game, but he was upset about it, as were the players. CBSSports.com reported quarterback Matthew Stafford decried the move as "home cooking." Many fans no doubt felt the same way, and Schefter's report adds more fuel to the fire.
