Did Chris Godwin commit OPI on key catch? Cowboys, Buccaneers weigh in on controversy
Tampa Bay’s 31-29 win. “He’s gonna fight for every inch and sometimes, you know he got a good lick on him. But he’s going to bounce right back and make that big play.”
Godwin said he wasn’t worried.
“No, no, no,” emphasized the receiver after catching nine of 14 targets for 105 yards, a touchdown and a fumble. “Never worry about offensive pass interference. Just try to go out there and make a play.
“I think it was a little hand-fighting on both parts. He had some good coverage, it was a great pass and I tried to make a play for my team.”
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The Cowboys chose not to make excuses after the play set up Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop’s game-wining 36-yard field goal. Contact rules in the league are hazy, involvement from officials sometimes frowned upon and Dallas players were well aware of the litany other mistakes they could have flipped into a game-winning edge. A leaky defense, three missed kicks and drops from wide receiver CeeDee Lamb were among the most damning Dallas weaknesses.
“We always talk about it: we can’t put it in the refs’ hands,” Lewis said. “It’s a toss-up. We played a hell of a game (but) at the end of the day, we can’t have the refs in the game like that.”
Lewis conceded that momentum from Godwin’s exchange likely contributed to his fall. But “I can’t call it like that,” he added. “That’s what the refs saw: a no-call.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy didn’t challenge the call, saying he didn’t have a “good look at it” but also philosophically prefers laissez-faire ends to games.
“When it comes down to the tight plays in a game, if it’s ticky-tack, you’re better (letting it go),” McCarthy said. “I would have taken the call. I wouldn’t have asked them to pick the flag up. But holding penalties and things in clutch times, I think it has to be a real foul there.
“It’s football.”
Godwin celebrated the catch after fumbling at the 2-yard line minutes earlier.
“I’m grateful I had the opportunity to redeem myself,” he said.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jori Epstein on Twitter @JoriEpstein.