Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford’s game-winning touchdown with 12 seconds remaining might not have happened if not for a little help from Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith.
On the Cowboys’ last play of the possession immediately before the Lions’ game-winning drive, Smith was called for holding. That penalty stopped the clock and gave the Lions an extra 40 seconds. Smith didn’t think his hold was blatant -- he called it “a tug” -- but he acknowledged that it was a mistake he shouldn’t have made.
“It’s a technique issue, but I have to clean up that mistake and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Smith said, via ESPNDallas.com.
If it hadn’t happened this time, the Cowboys probably would have beaten the Lions.