FRISCO, Texas – Dez Bryant might not even play when the Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field this week. But it wouldn't be Dallas-Green Bay week without a little reflection on the past.
It's been almost two years since the fateful reversal of Dez Bryant's famous fourth quarter catch on 4th-and-2 in the divisional round of the playoffs against the Packers. The Cowboys have actually already played at Lambeau since that gut-wrenching 26-21 loss, losing to Green Bay, 28-7, last December.
But to say the iconic moment is still a point of contention would be an understatement – ask any Cowboys fan. For that matter, ask the team's owner and general manager, Jerry Jones.
During his weekly interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday morning, Jones was asked about that play – and responded bluntly.
"Well, it has still knocked the credibility out from under the way we judge what's a catch and what's not," he said. "Since that play, I don't believe they've been able to say it in a way that any of us understand yet."
That's another understatement. Confusion and debate about the catch rule has raged in recent seasons, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell going as far as to convene a panel to discuss the rule last year.
When a player is going to the ground before being established as a runner – which is how the league described Bryant's 2014 catch, the current rule says: "[He] must maintain control of the ball until after his initial contact with 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."
Even if Bryant doesn't play on Sunday, it's safe to say the memory still lingers.
