"We've Got A Live One Here!"

I seem to recall a Bugs Bunny cartoon when Bugs is visiting a Canadian boom town (or was it California in the Gold Rush) and puts some money or gold on the table.

The bartender flips a signal, and the top of the piano flies up to tell the pianist (and the other workers):  "We've got a live one here!" or something to that effect.

Well, we have one in the NFL playoffs.

After three pretty dismal games, Detroit and Dallas was about to go the same route until Dallas finally woke up 35 minutes in.

But, fourth quarter, they are still down three points, and Detroit has the ball.  8:20 to go, 3rd and 1 just inside Dallas territory.

Now, it appears as if Detroit had been the beneficiary of a couple of very interesting calls.

But, chips down, this happens:

(and this is FOX Sports official look with former NFL refereeing head Mike Pereira in the booth for the game -- gee, wonder how that went down!!!)


The clip shows several stills of THE controversial play in the game, where Hitchens of Dallas clearly has an arm on Brandon Pettigrew of the Lions.

The play is originally called pass interference on the field, and the announcement is made, big first down at about the 30 for Detroit.  RIGHT?

WRONG!  All of a sudden, about a minute later, the flag is picked up!!!

Not only was Pettigrew probably interfered with, he also was held in the interior of the line, as other replays showed.

4th down, the Lions take the 5 yard penalty and then punt...

TEN YARDS.

The Cowboys drive down, aided by three Lion penalties (all correct and ALL points-of-emphasis -- two holds and a shot to the head), and win the game.

If I can find a video that won't get taken down (as many/most of the controversial videos I post here seem to have been *cough!!!*) of the entire play, I'll show that.

So what does this give us?

One, Ndamokung Suh is out of the playoffs, and probably into a contentious offseason, with both the Lions and the league.  It is of little dispute to me that Suh continually being in the league's doghouse is what separates Detroit from being pushed.

Two, we get this for Sunday, as far as the NFL is concerned:

Romo/Rodgers in the early game, Luck/Manning in the late game.

I think Dallas beats Green Bay next week, FWIW -- I think they are of more value to the league going to Seattle in two weeks than the Packers are, even with it being Fail Mary III.

EDIT TO ADD:  The game's referee said that another official, after the back judge threw the flag, told him he had a better angle, the contact was minimal, and that the only offense Hitchens was guilty of was face-guarding.

Face-guarding is a penalty in college (and I believe in high-school as well).

It is NOT in the NFL.