Controversy continues to swirl in Big D. After admitting that poor officiating took place on a critical fourth quarter play in the Sunday Wild Card tilt between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, NFL officials admitted today another missed call took place that greatly benefited the Cowboys.

According to ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, NFL told the Lions today that officials overlooked a holding penalty on All Pro DT Ndamukong Suh which took place on a key fourth down conversion from QB Tony Romo to TE Jason Witten. The play happened with only six minutes remaining in the game. Dallas scored the go-ahead (and ultimately winning) touchdown seven plays later.

Had the officials called the penalty as they should on the spot, the Cowboys would have been backed up, out of Detroit territory, with a fourth and 16  to go. Dallas would most likely have punted and tried to play defense to get the ball back. According to Schefter, who in turn cites a Detroit insider, this no-call is even worse than the pass interference no-call/reversal.

It all started with 8:18 left in the fourth quarter of a 20-17 game, when a polemic penalty was called that may have cost the Lions the game and gave the Cowboys the win. Detroit QB Matthew Stafford threw the ball to TE Brandon Pettigrew on third down and one yard to go. A penalty for pass interference was called by official Pete Morelli, who then inexplicably picked up the flag, moved the chains backwards and nullified the foul. According to Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, the explanation he received on the field from Morelii “was not good enough.”

After the game, NFL officials admitted to the Lions that mistakes were made on that critical fourth down play. Although they did not back off the nullification of the pass interference infraction, VP of Officiating Dean Blandino agreed that, at the very least, illegal contact or defensive holding should have been called against Dallas on the play. Blandino also said he would have been fine with Dallas WR being flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he ran out on to the field, sans helmet, to argue with the refs. As it stood, no penalty was assessed, and the Lions ended up having to punt on a crucial fourth and one.

Blandino has also been under fire for a story from this past August that resurfaced this week, in which the VP was seen hobnobbing on Jerry Jones’ mega-party-bus in Dallas. Fervent Detroit fans and conspiracy theorists alike were quick to make the connection after the controversial game on Sunday, claiming that perhaps Blandino was playing favorites and even possibly repaying Jones for his summer hospitality. Blandino and other NFL officials have since refuted such assertions.

Coach Caldwell, during his exit presser this afternoon, made certain he would not let his team use this one controversial play as an excuse for why they lost. He admitted that he personally thought the play was improperly officiated, and was angry about such, but would not let it be a crutch in the reality that the Lions simply were not good enough to win on Sunday.