Controversial Roughing the Kicker Call Overshadows Cowboys’ Victory

The NFL isn’t fully owning up to the controversy surrounding a roughing the kicker call that impacted the Cowboys’ thrilling 24-20 win over the Eagles this past Sunday.

With just under five minutes left in the first quarter, Cowboys receiver Ryan Flournoy received a penalty for roughing the kicker during a punt, leading to a 15-yard penalty and a score for the Eagles.

After reviewing the play, it appeared Flournoy’s hand grazed the football before he made contact with Eagles punter Braden Mann. Surprisingly, the Cowboys chose not to contest the decision.

NFL Vice President of Instant Replay Mark Butterworth admitted that the league made an error, but noted that Fox’s replay was “too slow” for officials to use in their judgment.

“When a roughing the punter penalty is called, we ensure that the ball is not tilted,” Butterworth said, pointing out that replay assistance could have been employed if clear evidence existed that Flournoy touched the ball prior to the contact. “If we had received that enhanced replay earlier, we could have helped before the ball was snapped.”

He also indicated that if the Cowboys had chosen to challenge the call, officials may have been able to access a better view showing that the ball tipped before the foul occurred.

Butterworth emphasized that if Fox had aired the enhanced replay sooner, the mistaken call could have been avoided.

In the aftermath, Flournoy remained convinced he had tipped the ball and expressed that the team should have pursued the challenge.

Despite the controversy, the Cowboys rallied from a 21-0 deficit to secure a win against the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Eagles.

As for the upcoming week, the Cowboys (5-5-1) are set to face the Chiefs (6-5) on Thanksgiving, while the Eagles (8-3) will take on the Bears (8-3) in Philadelphia.