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Packers' Sam Shields on Dez Bryant's controversial play: 'It was a catch'

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The football world erupted in discord when officials overturned a potential game-changing catch from Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant earlier this month, and you can count Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields among the many who believe the wrong call was made.

Shields, who was covering Bryant on the now infamous play, conceded at this week's Pro Bowl that the call that vaulted the Packers into the NFC Championship Game and effectively ended the Cowboys' season should have been ruled a catch.

“It was a catch,” Shields said, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. “But the new rule and at the last minute what happened, that’s what the refs came up with. I never said he didn’t catch it. He made a helluva catch I was in great coverage. Like I said, it was good on good and he came up with the catch.”

Regardless of Shields' opinion on the matter, or that of anyone else, there's no going back now.

However, given the lack of clarity surrounding what is and isn't a catch in today's game, the NFL will likely do everything possible to address the issue this offseason and prevent such controversial rulings going forward.

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