As the Dallas Cowboys tried to piece together a late push against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, one controversial flag hindered their momentum: the offensive pass interference call on Jake Ferguson. On a night full of controversy, Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott stepped up and delivered a bold take on the referees’ call.

“Do I get fined for talking about this?… I’m sorry, that was bad. I got to look at the film, maybe I can see it from their vantage point. I know I talked to the ref after, he said [Ferguson] aggressively pulled through. I’ve never seen a call like that,” the quarterback said.

During a 3rd & 3 play with just 3:50 remaining in the regulation and the Cowboys trailing the Lions 27-37, Prescott threw the ball towards Ferguson, who was just inches shy of the end zone. Before the No. 87 could catch the ball, he went down, and a flag was thrown. However, an unexpected ruling came out.

Ferguson and Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone were going man-to-man, and during that, the referees thought the Cowboys tight end tugged on Anzalone’s left shoulder. Consequently, they called a pass interference call on Ferguson.

Interestingly, everyone, including the broadcasting crew, thought that the call was on Alzalone since he grabbed Ferguson by the hip, which eventually got him off balance. In fact, everyone thought Ferguson swam through the LB’s guarding, something that is perfectly legal.

A 10-yard penalty was eventually declined, and the Cowboys settled for a 29-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey to get a little closer to the Lions. The whole incident ended a 15-play, 56-yard drive that started all the way back at Dallas’ 33.

That wasn’t the only call on Prescott’s mind after a loss that has put their season back on life support.

The offensive pass interference on George Pickens that wiped out a third-quarter drive bothered him just as much. However, it was less controversial.

On a 3rd & 9 play with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter, Prescott completed a short right pass to Ryan Flournoy for no gain. But multiple flags were already thrown to wipe out that play. Then, George Pickens was called for an offensive pass interference as he made an illegal screen to make room for Flournoy. His 10-yard penalty was accepted to push the Cowboys back to a 3rd & 19 at Detroit’s 45. While the 33-yard 8-play drive ended with a successful 63-yard field goal by Aubrey for three more points, their quarterback wasn’t thrilled.

“It was bad… I’ve never seen a call like that,” Prescott said again.

Dak Prescott didn’t sugarcoat any of it, and there’s a good chance the league office sends him a reminder as an invoice later in the week. The NFL has already topped $5.7 million in penalties. This particular game ended with the Cowboys committing seven penalties for 76 yards, compared to eight penalties on the Lions for 50 yards.

The loss plummets the Cowboys’ playoff hopes, but Prescott believes his squad

For the Cowboys, who were looking to continue their three-game winning streak, including victories over the Eagles and the Chiefs, quite brutally made things worse for themselves against the Lions.

On Thursday, the defense reverted to its early-season inability to get stops, allowing 40-plus points for the third time this season. It tied the team’s single-season record (1960, 1962, 2013, 2024). At the same time, the offense turned the ball over three times with two interceptions and a fumble, as compared to Detroit’s zero. Still, Prescott is sure they will bounce back to keep their playoff dreams alive.

“I think guys are pissed off right now,” Dak Prescott said following the loss. “I don’t think this is any deflated moment like, ‘Oh, hands are up, we’re done.’ No, no, absolutely not. I think you’re going to get a team that’s pissed, especially as we talk about a team that’s kind of changed since the bye week.”

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So, the Cowboys absorbed real damage from those calls in a 44–30 loss. But they weren’t alone in feeling burned on Thursday night.

Lions were also victims of questionable officiating

In the first quarter, it looked for all the world like the Lions got a sack on Dak Prescott. Jack Campbell shot through untouched on a blitz, dragged Prescott backward, and officials on the field immediately signaled safety. Detroit had what seemed like a 5–3 lead. Then the automatic review kicked in, and everything changed.

For a safety, the entire ball has to break the plane of the goal line and be in the end zone when the quarterback is ruled down. If even the nose stays out, it’s not a safety. Live speed made it look obvious, but the replay booth didn’t see it that way. Consequently, the call was overturned.

Dallas punted on the next snap, and Detroit took over at the Cowboys’ 42 with 5:24 left in the quarter. But those two points were gone. Amazon’s first looks didn’t clear up much. None showed the full ball in a way that settled the debate.

After a commercial break, a straight-down-the-line angle finally appeared. From that view, it looked like the ball might be out by inches. Enough to overturn it. Still, that won’t do much for Lions fans who are convinced the officials took points off the board.

Were the calls right? Depends on which sideline you’re on. But in a game that was already shaping up to be one of the best of the season, the officiating became the headline. And when it was over, the only thing that really mattered in Detroit was the win. A win that might’ve kept their season alive.