Sam Shields: 'Dez Bryant did make the catch'

Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields has conceded that Dez Bryant did make the contentious catch in his side's win over the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The incident occurred in the fourth quarter of the Packers' 26-21 victory over the Cowboys as Bryant made a leaping grab on a fourth-down play and reached for the goalline.

However, the officials deemed that the 26-year-old did not have possession of the ball for the entirety of the catch, which all-but handed victory to Mike McCarthy's men.

Shields told ESPN: "It was a catch. But the new rule and at the last minute what happened, that's what the refs came up with. I never said he didn't catch it.

"He made a helluva catch I was in great coverage. Like I said, it was good on good and he came up with the catch."

The Packers went on to lose the NFC championship game as they spurned a 12-point lead in the final two minutes against the Seattle Seahawks.