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Lions coach Jim Caldwell is calling on the NFL to reduce the human error in its officiating.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell held his season wrap-up news conference Monday afternoon, and didn't even wait for the inevitable to be asked.

He came out firing with a 4-minute opening statement that included a call for the NFL to reduce human error in its officiating after the officiating crew botched a critical pass interference call in the fourth quarter of a 24-20 playoff loss Sunday in Dallas.

"I do think in this day in age, in modern times, when we have technology that can take out the human factor in certain key situations in big games, that we should use that technology to set the record straight and take the human error out of it," Caldwell said. "So perhaps from this endeavor, we'll find maybe a way to improve that portion of the game."

On the play in question, quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted tight end Brandon Pettigrew with a third-and-1 pass in the fourth quarter. Dallas linebacker Anthony Hitchens was defending Pettigrew on the play and makes contact twice without ever looking for the ball.

First he grabs Pettigrew's jersey on the route, and then he collides with him with his back to the football.

The back judge threw his flag for pass interference, and the penalty was announced and assessed. But then the head linesman overruled the back judge, saying he had a better angle and the "minimal contact" constituted face guarding and not pass interference.

So the crew took back the PI, an exceedingly rare play. Even the referee, Pete Morelli, said he had never seen a flag picked up after it already had been assessed.

"No," he said. "Not particularly."

Caldwell said the NFL reached out to him about the play in the immediate aftermath of the game -- even before the team had departed Dallas -- and again on Monday.

Dean Blandino, the league's vice president of officiating, said on NFL Network that the crew missed the holding call, and botched the mechanics of the pass interference call, though there is some gray area as to whether or not it was actually PI.

Blandino also said Dallas receiver Dez Bryant could have been flagged for a personal foul for taking the field to argue the pass interference play without a helmet on, though it was not an automatic flag.

Referees have to flag players who take off their helmet, but that only applies to the guys who are in the game. Bryant was coming from the sideline, and so the issue of whether to flag him was a judgement call.

"It very well could have (been called), but in the official's view, they felt that it wasn't," Blandino said. "They gave him some leeway. We certainly would have supported a flag there. Players coming off the bench in that manner, that's not something we condone. But it's not an automatic penalty, there's some discretion. The officials felt it didn't warrant a penalty."

What did Caldwell think of Bryant not getting flagged?

"You can ask (the league) about that," he said.

Caldwell said he wants to see replay expanded to includes plays such as this one, particularly in big games, when the stakes are high and a team could have its season ended due to something -- such as human error -- that could be prevented with modern technology.

"Because (replay) takes up time and those kinds of things, and how a game lasts, you do have to have boundaries," Caldwell said. "But I do think that particularly in big games and down the stretch and playoffs and things of that nature, I'm not certain there should be a limit on the number you can review to make certain you got the call right.

"I just think we're all human, and we're affected by our surroundings, environment, big game issues, noise, etc., and it's going to be hard for anyone to convince me otherwise. I think we should take as much of the human factor out as we possibly can."

After the Pettigrew play, the Lions elected to punt on fourth-and-1. Sam Martin shanked it 10 yards, and the Cowboys drove the other way from the game-winning touchdown pass to Terrance Williams.

"I'm angry about it, and trying to keep my composure here, but I'm probably angry for our team and the fans," Caldwell said. "That's the thing that stirs your blood, our organization, the Ford family, that's hard to swallow. I've been (to the playoffs) a couple of times before, but I'm here now and this team is important to me."

The Cowboys play the Packers in the second round of the playoffs. And the Lions are eliminated.

"You hate that it ends this way, but the music stops for every team except for one in this league. And when it does, it's an abrupt halt," Caldwell said. "It's something that's a shock to the system. No matter who you are, when you get into the tournament, it doesn't feel good when you lose.

"To lose it on somewhat of a controversial issue, the one thing I told them is we're not ever going to make excuses, or create any crutches, for wins or losses. And this particular case will be no exception. But the fact of the matter is it's a controversial call, and I think without question it was one that probably not officiated correctly, in my estimation.

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