It was fourth and two for the Dallas Cowboys, down by five, needing a touchdown to wi the game against the Green Bay Packers. Chaos ensued as soon as the ‘Boys snapped the ball. Quarterback Tony Romo threw a high arching bomb to Pro Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant, who appeared to haul in a spectacular catch that put the Cowboys knocking at the door on the Green Bay one-yard line. However, when Bryant was tumbling to the Lambeau Field ground, the football appeared to pop out as he hit the ground, which seemed inconsequential as the referees initially ruled that Bryant had a catch.

Just a second later, Packers Head Coach, Mike McCarthy, threw his red challenge flag into the crisp Wisconsin air. The first thought that entered my mind was, “How on Earth can McCarthy challenge that play?!”

Keep in mind I’m from Wisconsin and am a die-hard Packers fan. The entire time the official review process was in progress, I knew there was a play similar to this one. Then, it dawned on me. Calvin Johnson vs. the Chicago Bears in 2010. The Lions needed a touchdown to win and with time running down in the fourth quarter, the backup quarterback threw a bomb to Johnson that appeared eerily similar to the Romo-Bryant connection.

Like Bryant, Johnson made a spectacular, leaping catch over a smaller cornerback. Like Bryant, Johnson puts the ball on the ground as he landed (42 second mark). Like Bryant, Johnson’s catch was wiped away by the NFL rulebook which states: “If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball throughout the process of contacting the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone. If he loses control of the ball, and the ball touches the ground before he regains control, the pass is incomplete. If he regains control prior to the ball touching the ground, the pass is complete.”

In the end, both Johnson and Bryant fell to the ground without keeping possession of the football, therefore the reversal of both catches was correct because both calls were made in direct accordance to the NFL rulebook, even though my eyes said that both were completed catches.

However, rules are allowed to be changed in the offseason, and I sure hope the NFL makes eliminating this silly rule, that took away two amazing catches, one of its top priorities. Sadly, this rule deflected the majority of the attention from an epic playoff football classic between two great teams and two great quarterbacks, one of whom was playing with a torn calf and another playing with a surgically repaired back. Fortunately, Rodgers and his one good leg came through in the clutch, rifling a dart through double coverage to rookie tight end Richard Rodgers (no relation) to give the Packers a lead they would not relinquish. Even though I love the Packers, I implore the NFL to remove this rule ASAP, so it doesn’t come to haunt anyone else in the league, especially not Aaron Rodgers and my Green Bay Packers.