Former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant reminds everyone of his, uh, catch?, on the play's anniversary vs. Packers: 'I changed the game forever'
On Thursday, former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant took to X to remind his followers of a dubious Cowboys anniversary, the playoff game at Lambeau Field in which 'Dez caught it.' Or, you know, didn't catch it.
"9 years ago. The whole world know I caught! I changed the game forever!" he wrote.
9 years ago
The whole world know I caught!
I changed the game forever! pic.twitter.com/m1JeffNeRD— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 11, 2024
Former Packers players who were on that field eagerly disagreed, namely Casey Hayward and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, both of whom shared thoughts on the post.
It was a drop gang!!!! 9 years counting still https://t.co/9fSTyKxixJ
— Casey Hayward (@show_case29) January 12, 2024
L
— Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (@haha_cd6) January 11, 2024
It was Jan. 11, 2015, in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs that Bryant was matched up on Sam Shields and went up for a brilliant Tony Romo pass that would have put the Cowboys down at the 1-yard line with 4:42 left in the game and the Packers clinging to a 26-21 lead.
The pass came on 4th and 2 from the 32-yard line and would have been good for 31 yards. But because Bryant didn't maintain control going to the ground, the play was overturned on replay, and Green Bay took over possession of the ball.
January 11, 2015: Dez did not catch it (according to referee Gene Steratore). The Packers would beat Cowboys 26-21 in the NFC Divisional Round. pic.twitter.com/wVHuPyyqY1
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) January 11, 2021
The Packers were able to run out the rest of the clock and advance to face … actually, let's not talk about what happened next.
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, of course, has been asked about the play a lot over the past couple years. The Packers coach at the time has a new reason to talk about it with his Cowboys getting set to face the Packers in the playoffs again Sunday.
Three years later, the league took steps to clarify the rule and it's quite likely Bryant would have awarded the catch in today's game.
It was quite the sequence of playoff outcomes that year. The Cowboys had advanced to face the Packers at Lambeau after a controversial fourth-quarter decision by officials to pick up a flag for pass interference, though the initial call was correct.
After the Dez game (OK, we'll talk about it, let's take a deep breath), the Packers famously lost to the Seahawks in overtime in the NFC championship game thanks to a botched onside kick among other strange mistakes. Then, Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl and lost the Patriots when Russell Wilson threw the ball on 2nd and 1 at the goal line, and the Patriots intercepted to end the game with a 28-24 win.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dez Bryant reacts on anniversary of playoff catch game vs Packers