No, I don't hate the Packers. It was more depressing that the catch didn't hold up more than anything.
The week before they had the controversial defensive holding call before the Lions game (it should have been offsetting penalties). I had a gut feeling we were going to get screwed on a call in the Packers game. The thing for me was if the Cowboys could make up for that bad call because even if you think Dallas got a favorable call in the Lions game...there was still 8 minutes on the clock and the Lions had the lead (with the ball inside the Dallas 40 yard line and 4th and 1).
I actually thought the call we were going to get screwed on was the bogus catch by a Packers WR (can't remember who) before half time where the tip of the ball hit the ground not once, but twice.
But when the Dez play got overturned, I was depressed about it because I knew people would say it was karma for the Lions game (which were 2 completely different calls and situations) and some people would take the contrarian view and side with the refs. The other part is that it symbolized what the NFL is growing into, a game about rules and figuring out how to argue your case for rules instead of just good, old fashioned excitement. Forget about DeflateGate and SpyGate, but the Patriots have been able to find holes in the rules to their favor. It kinda reminded me of the New Jersey Devils' run in the 90's where they could away with holding and grabbing and say 'hey, it's within the rules!', but it made for super boring hockey.
Here it was different. It was somebody pointing out how a catch may not be a catch 'depending how you look at it.'
Nonsense.
It was a catch and the rule shows it as such. There is no rule that says you have to 'advance it far enough.' And they were trying to apply the Calvin Johnson rule to this catch which is a completely different scenario (CJ can't advance a ball when he's already in the end zone, Dez can when he's not in the end zone).
It still showed to me that the referees do not understand the rules as we have seen on several different occasions. Of course, that's what happens when the head of officiating has never refereed a game before and is was a hack stand-up comic that couldn't make it in showbiz.
Could we have held on to win?
I'll be damned if I know.
Rodgers is the best QB in the league. But by the same token we have had a defense that while not great, came up with interceptions and fumbles to close out games all year long.
Perhaps we get the catch and Green Bay makes a goal line stand. It's not like we have been the most guaranteed offense to punch it in from the 1 yard line over the years.
Either way, it would have been more satisfying for the fans of both teams to have the catch called correctly. And in the end, that play was exactly what football should be about. You've got 4th down and your star QB is going to throw it to your star WR who is in 1-on-1 coverage who makes a catch and then does everything he can to try and score the TD. With a ruling like that, I think it starts to creep in players' heads to play the game differently and I don't think that's a good thing.
YR
