Mike McCarthy Addresses Dez Bryant Play He Challenged in 2015 Divisional Round Game

McCarthy's history with the Green Bay Packers has not been overlooked in his first days as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Mike McCarthy's history with the Green Bay Packers has not been overlooked in his first days as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

As he was officially being introduced to his new role in a press conference on Wednesday, McCarthy was faced with a difficult question—"Did Dez catch it?"

"Did Dez catch it?"

Mike McCarthy was the coach who challenged that, now infamous, play in 2015. Hear what the new Dallas Cowboys head coach had to say about it today.@KVUE #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/KDex61khxK

— Jeff Jones (@JeffJonesSports) January 8, 2020

It is something that has been asked of the coach many times. The McCarthy-led Packers faced the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Round in 2015. While the Packers held a 26-21 lead with 4:37 remaining in the game, Dez Bryant seemed to make an athletic catch near the goal line on fourth down.

On Jan 11, 2015, @DezBryant thought he caught the ball. Upon further review, the officials said he didn't.

“I was just reaching for the goal line, how is that not a catch?”

3 years later, we're still trying to figure out what a catch is, let alone if this was actually a catch. pic.twitter.com/F6MqdfqXq9

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) January 11, 2018

What looked to be a game-changing play instead went to a game-changing challenge, when McCarthy wagered his final timeout on getting the catch overturned.

"I had one timeout, maybe four minutes left in the game," McCarthy said on Wednesday. "And I said after the game, 'That was one hell of an athletic play.' I was impressed. Dez and Sam Shields, you're talking about two great athletes going after the football. But I asked the question in regards to how the rule was written, and I was given the right answer by the referee, so then I challenged it."

McCarthy said he was not even going to challenge the play until he talked to official Gene Steratore, who clarified the NFL's catch rules. The play was then overturned, and the Packers moved on to the NFC Championship game.

McCarthy added that Stephen Jones, the son of Jerry Jones and Dallas's executive vice president, "since got [the rule] changed on the competition committee."

So, McCarthy admits Dez caught it—almost. 

"It was a great catch, I can say now," McCarthy said with a laugh. "But it wasn't then, technically."