Regardless, the NFL instituted a rule earlier this decade to account for such situations. "We practice it all the time," Caldwell said. To be fair, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said afterwards that his team "certainly" could have gotten another play off. In all likelihood, it would have expired before the Lions could run another play. Had the play originally been called correctly, the clock would not have stopped. Because Falcons cornerback Brian Poole touched Tate's shoulder as he was falling, Tate was by rule down by contact. All scoring plays are reviewed automatically by the NFL, and when senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron saw the replay, he noted that Tate's left knee touched the ground before the ball crossed the plane. There were eight seconds remaining when Coleman's crew signaled for a touchdown. Tate caught a low pass and appeared to dive over the plane of the end zone. With 12 seconds remaining, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw what appeared to be a 1-yard touchdown pass to receiver Golden Tate - a score that would have lifted the Lions to a 32-30 lead over the Atlanta Falcons. Here's what happened, along with why I think that referee Walt Coleman and his crew ultimately made the correct call. Dallas LB Bruce Carter (back) also left the game.The Detroit Lions went from an apparent game-winning touchdown to a loss Sunday without a single play occurring in between. McClain did not travel with the team to Washington for last week’s regular-season finale because of an illness. Cowboys team officials initially said McClain left the game because of illness and dehydration. Cowboys ILB Rolando McClain went to the locker room to be treated for concussion symptoms and did not return. Lions CB Rashean Mathis left the game with a quadriceps injury. Swanson started at right guard with Larry Warford inactive due to an ankle injury. Swanson was treated for a knee injury on the sideline and was taken to the locker room for further evaluation, where it was determined he would not return. NOTES: Lions rookie G Travis Swanson was helped from the field in the first quarter. “I’m not going to sit up here and act like that (reversed pass-interference) call made a difference in the game,” said Detroit coach Jim Caldwell, who added, however, that the explanation wasn’t “good enough.” Lions kicker Matt Prater hit a 39-yard field goal in the final seconds of the half, boosting Detroit’s lead to 17-7. Romo’s 76-yard touchdown pass to Williams was the Cowboys’ lone offensive highlight in a first half in which the team could muster only 156 yards, including 30 rushing yards. Running back Reggie Bush’s 18-yard scoring run with 1:57 left in the first quarter capped a 14-play drive covering 99 yards over more than seven minutes, and Detroit led 14-0. On Detroit’s first possession, Stafford found Tate over the middle for a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown. The Lions forced a punt on the opening drive of the game and built a 14-0 lead before the end of the first quarter, but they couldn’t hold on. Detroit defeated Dallas in the divisional round in 1991. In winning, the Cowboys denied Detroit (11-6) its first playoff victory in more than 20 years and its first postseason road win in 57 years. Their last was a wild-card victory in 2009. The victory marked the Cowboys’ third in the playoffs in the past 19 years. They have a great offense, and their defense had a good plan today.” “Our defense did a good job of holding them. “If that ball doesn’t get tipped, Golden is running for days,” Stafford said. Dallas kicker Dan Bailey had a rare field-goal miss, from 41 yards. The Cowboys failed to come away with any points, despite taking over at the Detroit 19. Stafford also threw an interception on a pass intended for wide receiver Golden Tate on the first drive of the second half on a tipped ball. Detroit was called for defensive holding twice on the Cowboys’ last drive.
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