Yes, it’s been more than a decade since the controversial play in the Dallas Cowboys‘ divisional-round matchup against the Green Bay Packers in January 2015, when Tony Romo’s pass to Dez Bryant was initially ruled a catch before being overturned. But for former Dallas head coach Jason Garrett, it remains one of the most painful moments of his career. Beyond the controversy, Garrett recently revealed a regret he has rarely discussed.

“The one big regret that I have about that whole situation was after the game, I was asked the question, and we always talked about no excuses, no explanations, and you just take full responsibility,” Garrett said on The Rich Eisen Show. “And I said, ‘Hey, that was one play again. We had 56 minutes and four minutes after, and we didn’t get the job done.’

“And my regret, I don’t regret saying that and sharing that, but my regret was not recognizing the throw that Tony Romo made, and that catch that Dez Bryant made, because I thought plays, it was one for the ages. It was reminiscent of (Terry) Bradshaw to Lynn Swan over Mark Washington. It was that kind of catch, and I didn’t fully recognize that and let the world know how I felt about the play they made.”

Going into the game, the third-seeded Cowboys were 12-4 and had already defeated the Detroit Lions in the Wild-Card round. The Packers, led by Aaron Rodgers with Mike McCarthy leading the unit, earned a first-round bye and entered the matchup as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. By late in the fourth quarter, it felt like the Cowboys were going to end their NFC title game drought. But the NFL rulebook had other plans.

The infamous play went down with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Dallas trailed 26-21 and faced a 4th-and-2 from Green Bay’s 32-yard line. Dallas avoided a field goal, as Romo took the snap and launched a deep pass down the left sideline to Dez Bryant. The Packers’ corner, Sam Shields, meanwhile, covered the receiver.

Meanwhile, Bryant leaped over Shields for a 31-yard reception. He secured the ball with both hands, took multiple steps, and extended his arm toward the goal line before falling to the ground. Initially, officials ruled it a completed catch, placing the ball inside the Packers’ 1-yard line. Lambeau Field fell silent while the Cowboys fans celebrated.

However, after McCarthy immediately challenged the ruling, referee Gene Steratore announced that Bryant didn’t complete the process of the catch. As he hit the ground, the ball moved, briefly contacting the turf while he was extending toward the end zone. Under the NFL’s catch rule at the time, a receiver going to the ground had to maintain possession throughout the entire process. Bryant, meanwhile, failed to do so.

But when the dust settled, and reality kicked in, the Cowboys had already lost the possession on downs. The Packers took possession and burned the clock, as they knocked the Cowboys out of the playoff race. Since then, the debate around whether Bryant caught it persists. The league, meanwhile, underwent a major overhaul, as it removed the “Survive the ground” rule from the rulebook a few years later.

Fast forward to today, and one thing remains true: while that infamous play decided the outcome of the game against Dallas, Tony Romo’s throw and Dez Bryant’s remarkable catch have largely been overshadowed by the controversy that followed.

“I have never seen a contested catch like this ever be called anything but a catch,” three-time All-Pro corner Richard Sherman wrote on X that time. “Even as a DB, you know that if it’s even a (t)ie it will go to the WR. Can’t believe this decided the game.”

Garrett, meanwhile, had to maintain his no-excuse philosophy. Still, the former Cowboys’ head coach remains mad about that particular play.

Jason Garrett cleared Jerry Jones’ stance on the infamous Tony Romo-Dez Bryant play

Had Tony Romo’s pass to Dez Bryant been ruled complete, it would have had the potential to alter the Cowboys’ trajectory at the time. Romo could have led Dallas to its first NFC Championship Game in nearly two decades, and perhaps even a Super Bowl appearance. The moment also carried significant weight for Jason Garrett, as it marked the Cowboys’ first postseason run under his leadership.

That’s why Rich Eisen later asked Garrett whether Jerry Jones had contacted the league office in the aftermath of the game. Garrett, however, said he had no idea if Jones ever made such a call.

“Oh, I have no idea,” Garrett replied to Eisen. “I mean, once it’s over, it’s over.”

Things didn’t go well for Garrett from there, as the Cowboys finished 4-12 the very next season and failed to make the postseason. By the 2016 season, Dak Prescott had taken over the starting quarterback duties. And while he led the Cowboys to another divisional round, the team lost to the Packers once again. As for Garrett, the head coach parted ways with the franchise a couple of seasons later.