Dallas Cowboys: Blown Saints call brings back bad memories

The NFC Championship between the Saints and the Rams brought back bad memories for Dallas Cowboys fans as the refs can still blemish the game.

There are just some things you can’t let go of. Following the NFC Championship game between the New Orleans Saints and the Los Angeles Rams over the weekend, a 26-23 thriller that ended up being corrupted by a terrible non-call, the Dallas Cowboys world was reminded how the folks wearing stripes can still twist the outcome of pivotal games.

Listen, I’m not trying to draw in the New Orleans fire into Big D, nor am I saying the pain felt in NOLA is identical to former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant‘s catch in Lambeau Field four years ago.

For one, New Orleans was further along in their playoff run than Dallas was. And quarterback Drew Brees and his feisty Saints wear knocking on the door with a 1:48 left on the clock. The Cowboys still had roughly half a quarter to play against Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers and company, version 2014.

So yes, it’s different … but really, it’s not. Think about it.

Both teams were booted out of the playoffs because of historically blown calls by the referees. When fans, spectators and the general NFL world are talking more about the refs than the players or the game itself, we have a problem. Battle wounds like these may heal, but ask any Cowboys Nation fan and they’ll have this to show you: a scar.

I feel for the City of New Orleans. Sure, the caliber in the Big Easy is strong, but returning to the NFC Championship show is no easy task unless, apparently, your quarterback is wearing number 12 and sports the name, Tom Brady. The Cowboys haven’t been to that type of dance since the 1995 season, so there’s that.

Television stars and former players debate the level of this infraction by the refs, whether it truly determined the outcome or not, is beside the point. People will say the Saints still pushed the game to overtime and had a shot there. People will say the Cowboys’ defense bailed on Dallas back in 2015 after the Dez Bryant catch was ruled a no go.

We can play the role of film director and screenwriter all we want, but my stance is when poor calls like these happen, it’s hard to appreciate the game. It should never come down to this point. For the Dallas Cowboys, it took years for the officials to determine the Tony Romo to Dez Bryant catch was really a catch. By then, loyal Cowboys Nation had nothing but eye rolls in their arsenal.

It took a phone call from Saints head coach Sean Payton after the game to get a correction. It was interference on the pass play and the committee on the field blew the call, altering the flow of the game but more importantly, a possible outcome that involved Super Bowl tickets.

I feel for the New Orleans Saints. I certainly feel for the loyal fans in the city. The wounds will heal. There will be mental scars in the end. But do you ever get over it? Honestly, I can’t say that you really do.