Detroit Lions Wild Card Review: The Good and the Bad

Jan 4, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell (35) carries the ball pat Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Anthony Hitchens (59) and Orlando Scandrick (32) during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday was a sad, sad day to be a Detroit Lions fan. Scratch that. It was a sad day for the NFL in general. Unless you were a Dallas Cowboys fan, you were probably outraged with the way the game was handled by NFL officials throughout yesterday’s wild card matchup.

Late in the game, the Cowboys were penalized for what was thought to be a blatant pass interference call. After a helmetless Dez Bryant rushed onto the field to dispute the call (also a penalty that wasn’t called), the referees decided to pick the flag up.

It was pretty clear that they got the call wrong. And the way they handled it was even worse. Letting a star player sway your opinion on a call when he’s not even supposed to be on the field is just ridiculous.

Jim Daopoulos, a former NFL official weighed in on the controversy through Twitter:

The list doesn’t stop there either. SB Nation’s BleedingGreenNation compiled plenty of missed calls during yesterday’s game. It’s quite overwhelming.

Regardless, the Lions didn’t exactly help their cause in the second half. Scoring just three more points after going into the second half with a 17-7 lead just isn’t going to cut it.

Before I go off on a tangent, let’s go straight into the good and bad takeaways from yesterday’s game.

Next: The Good