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Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy appeared to make a huge mistake late in Sunday’s crucial game against the New York Giants.
While the Cowboys were down 20-19, Daniel Jones completed a pass to Dante Pettis on 3rd-and-16 to get the Giants into field goal range at the Dallas 32-yard line. Graham Gano went on to kick a 50-yard field goal to give the Giants a 23-19 lead.
During Pettis’ big catch many fans noticed that the ball clearly hit the ground on the play and should not have been ruled a completed catch.
How do you not challenge this? Ruled a catch on the field, making it 4th & 6 and putting the Giants into field goal range instead of 4th & 16 and out of field goal range. Cowboys had their full slate of timeouts at their disposal. #DALvsNYG pic.twitter.com/Wn4DB0vRQt
— Jake Kline (@JakeAKline) January 3, 2021
During the broadcast, FOX rules analyst Mike Pereira said there was “no question” that the ruling of a completed catch would have been overturned if McCarthy had challenged the play.
Mike Pereira: “No question in my mind that if Dallas would’ve challenged this it would have been reversed to an incomplete pass.” pic.twitter.com/cKolhlaBMl
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 3, 2021
Cowboys fans immediately crushed McCarthy for possibly costing the team a chance at making the playoffs by not challenging the Pettis catch.
THE BOOB MIKE MCCARTHY BLEW THIS GAME BY NOT CHALLENGING WHAT, ON ONE LOOK, WAS NOT A CATCH BY PETTIS. THAT WOULD'VE MADE A 50-YD FIELD GOAL 60 YARDS, AND IT'S DOUBTFUL IT WOULD'VE BEEN MADE OR EVEN TRIED. COWBOYS WOULD'VE ONLY NEEDED A FIELD GOAL TO WIN, WOULD'VE WON.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) January 3, 2021
Mike McCarthy is complete garbage
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) January 3, 2021
No challenge from Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy likely just cost his team three points. Terrible mistake. Bizarre non-challenge.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 3, 2021
Mike McCarthy never once stopped being a terrible coach all season. The consistency was impressive.
— John Gennaro (@johnmgennaro) January 3, 2021
Mike McCarthy when he’s told to challenge the ruling on the field: pic.twitter.com/gOhW9nEHrd
— 𐌊𐌉𐌍Ᏽ 🌌 (@JORD4NPOOLE) January 3, 2021
Mike McCarthy might’ve just blew it for the #Cowboys . Throw the damn challenge flag!
— Darius Butler (@DariusJButler) January 3, 2021