Ball Don't Lie: Cowboys-Packers, a dirty hit on Cam Ward and bad calls from Week 4

Another week, another collection of questionable decisions by the NFL's officiating crews. Like clockwork, this is the column that keeps on giving. As much as football fans would prefer to ignore the human element of NFL action, when the league's officials continue to cost teams literal games, there will always be a place to file your complaints.

The worst calls in Week 4 weren't egregious. If anything, we're nitpicking, but NFL games are often decided in the margins. Just ask the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, both of whom made this list in a game that literally had no margin – Sunday Night Football ended in an unprecedented 40-40 tie. Sunday night's affair is, undeniably, where we must start, as Micah Parsons return to Dallas just a month after his trade drew questionable reviews. Whether it be the final scoreline or the officiating, the league has plenty of questions to answer on Monday morning.

For more FanSided content directly in your Google feed, add us as a preferred source!

Worst calls of Week 4: Micah Parsons return went horribly wrong

Much like there is every week, there were plenty of missed holding calls on Parsons. Such is the case most games for one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL. Offensive linemen will grab hold of whatever they can rather than give up a sack. The saying goes that there is holding on every play in football – it just depends whether the officials were watching.

But the missed holds on Parsons weren't even the worst calls of this game. No, those would come via a questionable non-pass interference call and a missed intentional grounding on Dak Prescott. The first came on a Jordan Love fade down the sideline to wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. In the end, the officials opted to swallow their whistle in a critical moment. The Packers sideline wasn't happy, but on such a bang-bang play, it's not unusual for the officials to let the players play.

As for Prescott's intentional grounding, the non-call was a bit more egregious. Prescott didn't look to be outside of the pocket – which would've allowed him to essentially throw the ball away – and claimed there was a wide receiver in the area. Take a look for yourself.

Had the ball slipped out of Prescott's hands, it could have been ruled a fumble. Instead, Dak appeared to intentionally throw the ball to an open area without a receiver having a realistic chance to make a play on it. Such a decision would be intentional grounding, if the rulebook is any indication:

"It is a foul for intentional grounding if a passer, facing an imminent loss of yardage because of pressure from the defense, throws a forward pass that is not in the direction and vicinity of an originally eligible offensive receiver. The pass does not have to be incomplete for intentional grounding to apply," the official NFL rulebook reads.

Prescott got away with one here, and Cowboys fans know it.

Worst calls of Week 4: Cooper DeJean's so-called taunting penalty

It's open season on taunting, and the NFL let teams know prior to the season that such actions by its players would not be tolerated. Thus, players are testing the waters to know exactly what the officials deem unsportsmanlike, and what can still fly.

Cooper DeJean of the Philadelphia Eagles learned this lesson the hard way, when he made a nice open-field tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White. DeJean stepped over White after making the play, appearing to mimic Allen Iverson's infamous NBA Finals celebration. However, he didn't exactly make a point of rubbing it in White's face, which would've been considered an obvious taunting penalty.

The NFL defines taunting as any celebration "that could incite ill will or confrontation." If that definition sounds open-ended and up for interpretation, that's because it is! And it's likely the case for good reason, thus giving officials an easy way out when fan frustration grows rampant.

DeJean likely didn't mean any ill will towards the Buccaneers when he stepped over White's legs, but it's far easier to cross the line this season than at any point in modern NFL history.

Worst calls of Week 4: A dirty hit on Titans rookie Cam Ward

The NFL is supposed to protect quarterbacks above all else, which is why this missed personal foul against Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair – a player who ought to be on the NFL's hit list already – ranks as the worst missed call from Week 4. Al-Shaair was suspended just last season for a late hit on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Texans have gone to bat for Al-Shaair, but he was suspended three games for leading with the crown of his helmet on Lawrence when the Jaguars quarterback was clearly giving himself up.

The same cannot be said for Al-Shaair's hit on Cam Ward, which came outside of the pocket when the Titans rookie was nearing the line of scrimmage. However, given Al-Shaair's history, it is even more surprising he wasn't flagged for clear helmet-to-helmet contact on the No. 1 pick of last April's draft.

The NFL dropped the hammer on Al-Shaair last season, and despite his appeal maintained his three-game ban. It shouldn't be a shock if he is fined for this hit as well, which came high and looked unnecessary. Thankfully, Al-Shaair did not launch himself at Ward, but if the NFL wants to be consistent in its effort to protect quarterbacks, this is a call they ought to have made in the moment.