With an opportunity to put a big dent into the Lions’ lead late, Dallas tight end Jake Ferguson was flagged for a questionable offensive pass interference call that led to a Cowboys fourth down.
As noted by Amazon Prime officiating guru Terry McAulay, Ferguson appeared to swim through the coverage by Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone, but there was no noticeable grab or push from Ferguson that would have warranted the flag.
Nevertheless, after a brief discussion, Shawn Hochuli opted to back the flag, leading to the incompletion and a fourth down for Dallas.
‘I don’t see offensive pass interference at all,’ McAulay said on the broadcast.
The call might not have been as important in the final score: Ultimately, the Lions declined the OPI call, which led to a fourth down, rather than a lengthy third-down try.
The flag and fourth down led to a Dallas field goal, rather than a chance at a touchdown. The Lions scored on the next drive to put the game out of reach.
Of course, there were plenty who had questions about the zebras’ decision, anyway:
The Lions would win, 44-30.