Saturday, January 11 was the tenth anniversary of former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant’s infamous no catch play against the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFL Playoffs.
The 2024 NFL Playoffs started with a fitting tribute, as Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. fell victim to a similar call that dramatically shifted the momentum in the Chargers’ 32-12 Wild Card round loss to the Houston Texans.
Cowboys fans have not forgotten the painful playoff memory of Bryant. With Dallas trailing 26-21 in Green Bay, Bryant appeared to catch a pass from Tony Romo to convert a 4th and 2 play late in the fourth quarter.
After review, the call was reversed because he did not maintain possession through the process of the catch after hitting the ground.
The video of the play has 1.8 million views on YouTube. The NFL wound up changing the catch rule because of the controversy that followed.
YES! https://t.co/gqgYYaNpHc pic.twitter.com/Hckp2tBm86
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) January 11, 2025
Fast forward to Saturday, when James felt Bryant’s pain as the Chargers’ season ended eerily on the anniversary of the “No-Catch Game.”
Los Angeles trailed Houston 10-6 in the third quarter on Saturday when James appeared to intercept a pass by C.J. Stroud to give the Chargers a second half spark. The game went to commercial following the play called a turnover on the field, but when it returned, the interception call had been reversed.
What’s the standard for an incomplete pass these days?
What’s the standard for an incomplete pass these days?
— Sedef Uludağ (@sedefuludagg) January 11, 2025
It was ruled that the Chargers’ safety failed to control the catch as he went to the ground, though there was not a clear view of the ball on the replay.
Like the Cowboys-Packers play, it was called a catch on the field. It didn’t take long for the comparisons to pour in on social media.
“That’s a clear pick what is this Dez Bryant treatment,” said one user on X.
“Dez Bryant tribute by Derwin James,” echoed a fan.
That’s dez bryant 2.0
wow Derwin clearly caught that
— BigFatWinners (@BigFatWinner) January 11, 2025
“Awful call!” wrote another post. “On the Dez Bryant anniversary how appropriate! You couldn’t see the football, how do you reverse that?”
The comparison of the no catch ruling was obvious, but there was another similarity between the James and Bryant plays – both came in key moments.
Though the overturned interception was not as late in the game as the Cowboys’ failed comeback, it may have had a similar impact on the game’s outcome. Instead of Los Angeles getting the ball down 10-6 with momentum, Houston kicked a field goal to extend its lead to 13-6.
It’s impossible to know what would have happened, but after the overturned call, the Texans outscored the Chargers 22-6 as they marched on to the AFC Divisional Round.
