Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields was the man tasked with covering Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant on the now-infamous overruled catch in the teams' NFC Divisional round matchup.
Shields said right after the Packers' 26-21 win that the refs made a good call overturning the catch. He changed his tune in an interview with ESPN this week.
“It was a catch,” Shields said, via Pro Football Talk. “But the new rule and at the last minute what happened, that’s what the refs came up with. I never said he didn’t catch it. He made a helluva catch I was in great coverage. Like I said, it was good on good and he came up with the catch.”
Follow our Dallas Cowboys team page for the latest Cowboys news!
The Packers CB adds that he was surprised that Bryant's stretch for the goalline didn't constitute a "football move" - a ruling that would have made the catch stick if the refs would have seen it Shields' way.
“I did look back and I seen him reaching and I guess that’s when he didn’t control the ball as he was doing that,” Shields said.
While there are plenty of interpretations on both sides regarding the NFL's rules, the fact remains that the league has plenty of work to do to clarify its idea of what is and is not a catch for both fans and players alike.
Back to the Dallas Cowboys Newsfeed