Moments after the National Football League's (NFL) game that pitted the Dallas Cowboys overcoming the Detroit Lions, players and fans were calling foul saying that bad calls were what led to the Lions' loss. However, several bonehead plays look to shift the blame away from the officiating and back to the players themselves.

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The wild-card game was electric. Excitement was mounted for a do-or-die situation that would see one team's Super Bowl dreams dashed upon the rocks.

In the fourth quarter, the officiating crew picked up a penalty flag in the fourth quarter. They called a "controversial" reversal of a pass interference call. This is what led people to believe that the Lions were jobbed last Sunday.

However, after the call, the Lions were still in a favourable position to win the game against the Cowboys. If not a win, taking the game to overtime was a possibility.

Yet the Lions seemed to work against their own goals, with several plays in the next eight minutes seemingly going against their goals.

The Lions should have had the Cowboys pinned inside their 10 and down three points. Then the Lions blew their lead.

The first was on fourth-and-1 from the Dallas 46. The Lions tried to draw the Cowboys offside but failed. They were penalized five yards for delay of game. The Cowboys would start from its 41 with 8:10 to play.

Then, on fourth-and-6 from the Detroit 42, Tony Romo was able to find Jason Witten on a curl for 21 yards.

Romo was unsuccessful on a following pass to Lance Dunbar, but linebacker DeAndre Levy was called for holding Dunbar. This allowed the Cowboys to score the touchdown three plays later.

The Lions were now down four points with 2:32 remaining. On second-and-4 though, Matthew Stafford fumbled while being sacked nine yards behind the line of scrimmage.

The Cowboys' DeMarcus Lawrence recovered but was eventually fumbled again. The ball returned to the Lions.

Yet it just wasn't meant to be for the Lions. After two first downs crossed midfield, Lawrence sacked Stafford again, causing him to fumble the ball.

The Cowboys recovered the fumble and won the game thanks to the poor play of the Lions.

TagsDetroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, NFL