The lead official literally got in the way of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott as he tried to spike the ball at the end of regulation.
Prescott ran the ball down near the red zone as the final seconds of regulation were ticking away. Dak tried to spike the ball, but before that could happen, the lead official had to make contact. League rules suggest this, and regardless of how dumb such a rule may be, it’s technically the right one.
Prescott was furious after the play and didn’t have time to snap the ball at the end of regulation. Instead, the Cowboys lost, rather than one final shot at the end zone.
Here's how the #49ers-#Cowboys game ended: Per NFL rules, Dak can't spot the ball on his own and snap it. Ball must be spotted by the ref. By the time that happened, clock reached triple zeroes. pic.twitter.com/NY9H7IHmsD
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 17, 2022
Did Cowboys get screwed by referee on final spike attempt?
I mean…absolutely. We should get that out of the way.
A nationally-televised NFL playoff game should not come down to the officials touching the football. If all were right with the world, the Cowboys would’ve gotten one more shot at the end zone.
Instead, though, the rules ARE the rules. Instead of a Prescott throw to the end zone at the end of regulation, we got pure chaos, established by the zebras.
The play-call was also a curious and risky one at best. Rather than throw to the sideline — which had practically gotten them near the red zone without much of an issue — Dak opted to run right up the gut.
Cowboys fans have every right to be furious with the league, but they ought to not take out that frustration on the officiating crew, per say. They were merely doing their jobs.