Cowboys' Dak Prescott calls out officials for awful penalty in loss to Lions

Dak Prescott was hardly the reason the Dallas Cowboys came up short on Thursday night at Ford Field in a 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions.

In a game where the Dallas defense looked like its old, awful self, Prescott was the reason the Cowboys were able to hang around, though it wasn’t enough against a Lions team that kept finding ways to execute.

However, the officiating crew didn’t exactly help Dallas’ effort, especially in the second half, and one of their worst calls came on a penalty that didn’t even end up getting accepted.

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Trailing 37-27 with 3:50 left in the fourth quarter, Dallas was at the Detroit 11-yard line, facing a 3rd and 3 before Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was called for a head-scratching offensive pass interference penalty. The Lions declined the penalty since the play resulted in an incomplete pass.

Dak Prescott on Late Penalty: “That Was Bad” Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott rolls out during the first half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Cowboys were still able to make it a one-possession game with a field goal, but a touchdown would have put more pressure on the Lions, who were able to close the game out anyway. Regardless, the call was awful to say the least, even if it was declined.

“Do I get fined for talking about this? … I’m sorry, that was bad,” Prescott said of the call, per Tommy Yarrish of Cowboys.com. “I got to look at the film, maybe I can see it from their vantage point. I know I talked to the ref after, he said [Ferguson] aggressively pulled through. I’ve never seen a call like that.”

insane! how do you call this???

Hochuli is a super villain pic.twitter.com/wbRFGQ6mgS

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 5, 2025

It wasn’t the best night for Ferguson when it came to flags, as he was involved in another big, but slightly less-controversial call earlier in the game. With 2:32 left in the second quarter and Dallas trailing 17-6, he was also called for an illegal use of hands violation on a play where the Lions also committed defensive pass interference deep down the field against George Pickens near the goal line.

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If not for Ferguson’s offsetting penalty, the Cowboys would have been set up in the red zone right before halftime. Instead, Dallas had to settle for another Brandon Aubrey field goal.

The Cowboys’ offense needed everything to go right on a night where the defense struggled, and the penalties certainly didn’t make things better.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott