Brian Schottenheimer Drops True Feelings About Jake Ferguson Against Lions Amid Controversial Penalty Incident Trastitulares
The big-ticket TNF 44-30 defeat against the Detroit Lions was a certain gut punch for the Dallas Cowboys, who maintained a three-game winning streak before that. With that loss, the Cowboys’ playoff hopes took a massive hit. In this all-important matchup, the Cowboys faced a controversial decision involving tight end Jake Ferguson, dubbed a game-changer for Dallas. After several takes on the call, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has finally shared his verdict on the decision.
“Brian Schottenheimer said Jake Ferguson’s fumbles are a fundamentals issue,” Calvin Watkins reported. “Has to take care of the ball.”
This much-discussed incident occurred as the Cowboys were driving the ball with 4:15 left in the fourth quarter, trailing 30-24. The Cowboys were in the red zone, and quarterback Dak Prescott was trying to target Jake Ferguson. As the pass was thrown, it seemed there was contact between Ferguson and the Detroit defenders, and a flag came out. The catch ultimately didn’t come together, as Ferguson was quickly wrapped up by Lions cornerback Brian Branch.
This feels like a rough OPI call. I don’t know… pic.twitter.com/PPHTsPih9g
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 5, 2025
After a brief discussion, the referees announced a penalty for offensive pass interference on Ferguson. This decision left everyone at Ford Field shocked as Brian Schottenheimer was also visibly upset with the call. When the play occurred, it seemed Ferguson gripped linebacker AlexAnzalone’s jersey with his left hand, pulling him slightly off balance.
However, after further review, the Dallas tight end was seen using a swim move to get past Anzalone, which ultimately led to an offensive pass interference. The ensuing penalty pushed Dallas back 10 yards to the 22-yard line. Instead of a potential touchdown, Dallas settled for a field goal, cutting the lead to 30-27. The defense then immediately conceded a touchdown and suffered a 14-point loss.
During the controversial OPI call, the Cowboys’ QB was seen in a visibly tense exchange with the officials. Later, after the game, Dak Prescott admitted,
“Do I get fined for talking about this?… I’m sorry, that was bad. I got to look at the film, maybe I can see it from their vantage point. I know I talked to the ref after, he said [Ferguson] aggressively pulled through. I’ve never seen a call like that.”
Unlike him, the HC remained tight-lipped when asked for details on the incident. With this defeat, the Cowboys’ postseason plans have suffered a massive hit as they need to win out their remaining fixtures to enter the playoffs.
Brian Schottenheimer on Cowboys’ playoff chances
Three consecutive wins over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs helped Dallas emerge as a legit postseason contender. But since their defeat against the Lions, the Cowboys are back to square one. With a 6-6-1 record, Dallas sits 10th in the NFC and has a 7% shot at the postseason, per Next Gen Stats.
The Cowboys face a brutally necessary “win out” scenario. Their final four fixtures demand perfection as they take on the Minnesota Vikings, a direct NFC Wild Card competitor in Week 15. In Week 16, Dallas will face a must-win AFC opponent in the Los Angeles Chargers before finishing their season with two critical NFC East rematches against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.
Furthermore, they have a 4% chance to win the division, which seems like the only viable option given that the Eagles are facing their own offensive struggles after suffering two consecutive defeats.
Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer also spoke about focusing on his team’s results when asked about the playoff chances after their recent defeat.
“I don’t know,” said the HC as reported by Jon Machota.
“We’re just going to keep playing. We don’t control who wins and loses; we just control what we can do. Really proud of the group. I told them that. Four games in 17 days, they battled their asses off. … I just think we didn’t execute very well. And that starts with me.”
As winning four in a row remains a tall order for Schottenheimer and Co., they will need to rekindle their winning form and sustain it through the remainder of the season.
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