NFL: 30 of the biggest what-ifs in NFL history: 17. Dez Bryant’s catch gets ruled a catch
For the past few decades, the Dallas Cowboys have been considered a moribund franchise and perpetual losers. With that said, there’s a good chance that they would have been viewed entirely differently if the NFL had gotten it right.
During the Divisional round in the 2014 playoffs, the Cowboys were down by five against the Green Bay Packers on the road. It was 4th and 2nd and a field goal would do them no good. Once the ball was snapped, quarterback Tony Romo could have attempted to drop the ball off for a quick two yard completion and a new set of downs. Instead, he wanted it all. The multiple-time Pro Bowler got the ball from under center, took a few steps back and fired it to wide receiver Dez Bryant down the sidelines. It was clear to everyone who was watching that Bryant caught the ball and was stopped at the one yard line. But, when looking back at the video, the referees ruled it an incomplete pass because the ball was slightly dislodged when Bryant hit the ground.
Since then, the NFL has made changes to the rule which ultimately would have benefited Bryant and the Cowboys at the time. While scoring a touchdown wouldn’t have guaranteed a win since there were four minutes left on the clock, there’s a good chance that the Cowboys would have escaped with their hands raised in victory. Would they have gone all the way to the Super Bowl that year? Considering how good they were that season, there’s a good chance they would have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Or, at least that’s what Dallas Cowboys fans believe.