A day after a controversial first-down measurement cost the Raiders a win over the Cowboys, Oakland coach Jack Del Rio was still salty about the call.
A late Cowboys drive on Sunday was kept alive after referee Gene Steratore used a folded piece of paper to decide whether Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott picked up a first down on a quarterback sneak.
The Cowboys, who called a fake punt in their own territory in the second half of Sunday's 20-17 win over the Raiders, had Prescott sneak it on fourth-and-1 from their own 39-yard line with just over five minutes remaining of what was a tie game. It was originally ruled a first down, but Steratore called for a measurement and then tried to stick the folded piece of paper between the first-down pole and the football.
The closest measurement you will EVER see.
— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 18, 2017
First down. pic.twitter.com/14v2lPxxVr
Del Rio said it was a "mysterious ruling on the fourth down."
"It was a pretty gutsy to go for it by them in their territory, which basically gave us the win, except it was not called that way," Del Rio said Monday. "For some reason we did not recognize the space involved there, but we deal with that as we have to and we move on."
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The Cowboys drive ended with what turned out to be a game-winning field goal with 1:47 remaining. The Raiders had a chance to steal the win thanks to a 55-yard pass interference penalty, but on a third-and-3 with 39 seconds left, Derek Carr scrambled for the goal line and fumbled through the end zone for a touchback to seal the Dallas victory.
"I saw the chain and, again, I saw space and I was like, 'All right. They just made a big error going for it right there. This is a turning point. We've got the ball at the 40 going the other way,'" Del Rio said Monday. "That was pretty ballsy and it really didn't get work, except they got the fortuitous reaction from the (officiating) crew."
Del Rio admitted the Raiders (6-8) still had a chance at the end, but fumbled it through the end zone. He was proud of his team's effort, but added he doesn't "believe in consolation prizes." Sunday's loss to the Cowboys (8-6) didn't eliminate the Raiders from the AFC playoff picture, but they have to win out against the Eagles (12-2) and Chargers (7-7) and get some help.
"We're playing to win at all costs," Del Rio said Monday. "We need to win games. That's what we're here for."
A former NFL player and longtime coach, Del Rio said he doesn't have an issue with the low-tech process of bringing chains from the sideline to measure for a first down. As for Steratore's odd measuring technique, well, that was a new one.
"It's been tried and true. Just stretch the chain and, if there's space, it goes the other way," Del Rio said. "Everything was in place to get an accurate call. I saw space and, in my opinion, it should have gone the other way and a turnover on downs... I know what I saw. I saw it myself.
"The guy ran out there with the camera and put the camera right down on it, so the whole world got to see what it was. It's not like we're making something up. The guy with the camera was right there. How you can look at that and then get up with a smirk, I don't know; that's hard to take."
"Nothing really surprises you after 32 years," he added, "but that was unusual."