For the past week, after the Dallas Cowboys benefitted from a controversial officiating decision in their wildcard win over the Detroit Lions, there have been suggestions that America’s team benefit from favourable calls from America’s officials.

That talk stopped on Sunday after the Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers 26-21 in their NFC divisional playoff, in which Dallas were on the receiving end of a hugely important call.

With 4:06 remaining on the clock, wide-receiver Dez Bryant leapt above Packers corner Sam Shields to grab a beautifully floated 31 yard pass from Tony Romo that looked to have moved Dallas to the one-yard line. But Packers head coach Mike McCarthy looked up at the giant screen at Lambeau Field, saw the replay and threw his challenge flag. After several viewings of the incident referee Gene Steratore reversed his call. Instead of being set for a touchdown that would have put them back in the lead, the Cowboys had to give up the ball on downs the Packers took over on their 33 and never gave the ball back.

The decision exposed one of the NFL’s most unsatisfactory rules – to most eyes Bryant had caught the pass but in going to ground and reaching out for the endzone, he was ruled to have not have full control as the ball squirted out. “It was a confident challenge but a hopeful one too,” said Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

Steratore was asked if the video review team in New York made the decision. “It’s a joint decision,” Steratore said. “I mean, now we’re fortunate to have the ability to communicate with New York and have additional input, which helps with judgment as a referee on the field and in the booth to be able to have that communication. So, yes, it’s a joint effort.”

Not surprisingly Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett felt the decision was wrong but refused to blame the officials for the defeat. “Dez reached out for the goal line like he’s done so many times, it’s a signature play for him. He maintained possession of it throughout in my opinion, but let me make it really clear: This game wasn’t about officiating. We had 60 minutes, we had an opportunity to come up here and win a ballgame and at the end of the day we didn’t get that job done,” he said.

The main reason they didn’t was their failure to neutralize Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers who, despite clearly being limited by his calf injury, delivered a game winning performance as the Packers came back from 21-13 down in the third.

Controversial though the Bryant decision may have been, it shouldn’t take away from what was an outstanding second half comeback from the Packers. Rodgers threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns but when he went in at half-time, after hobbling his way through the second quarter the Packers, trailing 14-10, looked in big trouble.

One of the Californian’s great assets is his quick feet and his ability to get out of trouble, escape pressure and throw on the run. In pain and with restricted movement he was limited to passing from the pocket and even then his throwing was impaired by his inability to push off hard.

It was clear that Rodgers was in trouble when he threw the opening touchdown of the game on their first drive. Rodgers’ instincts told him to run the ball himself but, hobbling towards the Dallas defense, he picked out Andrew Quarless in the end zone with a four-yard pass. “I feel like with my normal mobility I would have been able to just run that in,” said Rodgers. “The pain in my calf helped me make that decision very easily.”

After field goals either side of half-time had brought Green Bay back to within a point, Dallas looked to have a firm grip on the game thanks to the speed of running back DeMarco Murray. Murray’s burst for 26 yards took the Cowboys to the one yard line and then he made the yard needed to put Dallas 21-13 ahead.

But it quickly became apparent that Rodgers’ mobility was improving and when he moved out of the pocket to find Davante Adams with a 46 yard touchdown pass, he looked close to his normal threat. A 13 yard pass to Richard Rodgers was the quarterback at his best – reading the Dallas defense with speed and intelligence before delivering the killer blow with a perfectly timed pinpoint pass.

Whether Rodgers will be closer to full fitness next week in Seattle in the NFC Championship game remains to be seen. “I’ve got 120 minutes left in me,” he said optimistically. Seattle’s high-speed defense, clearly the best in the league, will present a sterner challenge than the Cowboys did in the second half but Rodgers has shown that even with his threat reduced, he can still deliver.

“I thought he played huge today,” said McCarthy, “His performance in the second half was as good as it gets. What he has done in this stadium in the last two games with the conditions of his calf has been spectacular”.