Dez Bryant could get fined for his actions during the Dallas Cowboys' NFC Wild-Card game against the Detroit Lions. And if he does, the Lions will be more irate than they are now.
The officiating crew in the game already had been questioned for picking up a pass-interference flag on Dallas linebacker Anthony Hitchens in the fourth quarter of the game that resulted in a Lions punt, followed by a Cowboys' game-winning touchdown drive in their 24-20 victory at AT&T Stadium.
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ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com reported Sunday night that the officials also could've called a penalty on Bryant, the Cowboys' mercurial wide receiver, who walked onto the field without his helmet on to protest the call.
The report cited a league source saying that the referee crew had the discretion of calling an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on Bryant. ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com pointed out that Bryant came onto the field as officials still were in the process of determining whether Hitchens committed an infraction.
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"That was the primary concern," ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com reported. "Still, Bryant shouldn't have entered the field of play."
Watch Bryant come onto the field here.
NFL.com added that a Lions official and a player also questioned the non-call on Bryant.
"Explain how this is not a personal foul," one Detroit Lions team member texted, with a picture of Bryant, according to NFL.com.
The Lions already were livid that the officials, who had announced the pass-interference penalty against Hitchens and had marched off the 15 yards, gathered and determined that the play was not pass interference, forcing fourth down for the Lions late in the fourth quarter as the clung to a 20-17 lead.
Detroit punter Sam Martin then punted the ball 10 yards to the Cowboys' 41, giving the home team excellent field position. They marched down the field and scored on 8-yard touchdown pass from Tony Romo to Terrance Williams.
But ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com reported that the NFL could fine Bryant for his action, which could open a can of worms.
"It'll be interesting to see whether the league office fines Bryant for the infraction," the report indicated. "To fine him would be to admit that he should have been penalized, and not that he simply could have been penalized through the exercise of discretion by the officials."
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