ARLINGTON -- As if the night couldn't get any worse for Jason Witten, the veteran tight end was told just after his postgame interview Sunday that he couldn't leave AT&T Stadium.

A tornado warning in the area had the stadium under lockdown. Witten had nowhere to run after a gut punch of a defeat to Green Bay that saw the Cowboys lose on Mason Crosby's 51-yard field goal as time expired.

Witten, in his 14th season, had said all season how this was a special group of players. He talked about their remarkable chemistry and unwavering determination.

Witten felt like this was his best chance to finally reach a Super Bowl, maybe his last opportunity to fill out the only missing part of a Hall of Fame résumé.

And the reality of coming up just short of reaching his first NFC Championship Game -- the first for the Cowboys since their last Super Bowl to end the 1995 season -- hit him hard.

Witten, usually as stoic as anyone in front of the media, was hoarse, red-cheeked and wiping sweat from his face as he answered questions about the loss and his future.

"It was sudden and just raw emotion that just happened," Witten said, describing the scene in the Cowboys' locker room. "A lot of emotions, a grown man playing a kid's game, and you lose and your season comes to an end.

"It's emotional for me right now, not just for where I'm at in my career but for this team. This started way back in February with a goal in mind, coming off a 4-12 season. We worked our tails off to make a plan and stay together as a team. We were united on the first day of camp, with all that entailed with our city, arm-in-arm, and just every step of the way, when Tony [Romo] went down and Dak [Prescott], just the unity we've shown all season."

Witten was again a big part of the Cowboys' game plan. He had six catches for 59 yards on nine targets. Witten also caught the first playoff touchdown pass of his career.

Early in the fourth quarter, Witten helped the Cowboys convert a third-and-14 by catching a 15-yard pass down the right seam for a first down. That set Dallas up first-and-goal from the 6.

On the next play, Prescott again found Witten. Off the snap, Witten cut to his right and went hard into the defender, creating separation for him to turn inside. Witten was wide open for a 6-yard touchdown catch that cut the Packers' lead to 28-20.

Late in the first half, Prescott was determined to get Witten the ball in the red zone. On three consecutive plays, Prescott threw in Witten's direction from the Packers' 15. On third-and-10, Witten was tripped up in the end zone by Packers linebacker Joe Thomas as he cut to his right, but no penalty was called. The Cowboys had to settle for a field goal and a 21-13 halftime deficit.

The Cowboys would go on to overcome a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to tie it at 31 with 35 seconds left to play. But Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers was able to put the Packers in position for a last-second field goal by completing a 36-yard pass to tight end Jared Cook with three seconds on the clock. Witten had to watch it all unfold from the sideline, helpless in his fate.

"What a play by them there at the end," Witten said. "It's hard to get here, really hard to get here, and for that there's a lot of emotions going through my mind."

Witten, who turns 35 in May, will be in the final year of his contract next season.

Witten was asked after the game if he plans to return for a 15th season with the Cowboys.

"I haven't really thought about it," Witten said. "Every year when I'm empty at this point, it's just you gave everything you got, and I'll take time to reflect on it. I love this team and this group of guys and so, yeah, that will be the plan for sure."

Witten was then reminded by a reporter he's never reached an NFC title game.

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that," Witten said. "Obviously that's something I realize, regardless of how many catches you have or any of that stuff, your legacy will be remembered as how you play in these certain situations in the playoffs, and that's tough.

"It's tough for me to swallow that. It's not about any one individual. I'm proud of this team. I really have my whole career I've tried to work really hard to not make it about me, and that's why there's emotion that goes along with this.

"I'm in my 14th year, and you know there's a shelf life for everybody. You put everything you have into it, and when you come up short it's tough. It's not about a paycheck. It's about an opportunity to compete and lead and win and play in these types of games. This team had a special feel all the way through, and to come up short like that for me is hard."