ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The game will go down in Detroit Lions lore as the one with pass interference that suddenly wasn’t pass interference, a non-call that will forever taint what was the best NFL wild-card round matchup of the season.

The Lions lost, 24-20, to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium after Tony Romo threw the game-winning 8-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams with 2:32 left in regulation. Detroit grabbed a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, but a three-point second half, questionable game management, a 10-yard punt and, to an extent, the officials, doomed them.

With the Lions clinging to a 20-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter, tight end Brandon Pettigrew seemingly drew a pass-interference penalty from linebacker Anthony Hitchens on third-and-1, a penalty that would’ve moved them into field-goal range.

Referee Pete Morelli even announced the penalty and the officials marked the ball at the Dallas 29, but seconds later, he said there was no infraction. The Lions had to punt, and Sam Martin’s 10-yard shank helped set up the Cowboys’ game-winning drive.

Morelli told the Dallas pool reporter that he didn’t see the initial penalty, but the head linesman overruled the flag from the back judge.

“We got information from another official from a different angle that thought the contact was minimal and didn’t warrant pass interference,” Morelli said. “He thought it was face-guarding.

“Face-guarding is not a foul. It is a penalty in college, but not in professional football.”

Lions coach Jim Caldwell said the explanation he received during the game was “not good enough,” and he was still upset Monday.

“The fact of the matter is it’s a controversial call and without question, it was one that was probably not officiated correctly,” he said.

The NFL even contacted Caldwell before the Lions’ flight left Dallas, and Dean Blandino, the vice president of officiating, said on NFL Network Monday there should’ve been a holding call before the potential pass interference.

Regardless of how it happened, though, the Lions are now winless in the postseason since 1991. They tied the Kansas City Chiefs with an eight-game playoff losing streak, longest in the league.

“I’m not going to sit up here and act like that was the call that made the difference in the game,” Caldwell said. “We still had our chances.”

After the flubbed call, the Lions chose not to go for a fourth-and-1 at the Dallas 46, and the short punt made it easier for the Cowboys to drive to the go-ahead score.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford finished 28 of 42 for 323 yards with one touchdown, one interception and a lost fumble on the final play of the game. He played great in the first half, but struggled late and suffered another blow to his legacy.

The Lions defense was stout in the first half, and tackle Ndamukong Suh was a monster with two sacks and two tackles for loss. But eventually, running back DeMarco Murray (19 carries for 75 yards and one touchdown) and Romo (19 of 31 for 293 yards and two touchdowns) found a rhythm.

“I’m proud of the guys,” Stafford said. “We fought our tails off all year, on a bunch of games along the way. Just didn’t have enough in the tank to get it done today.”

–Ndamukong Suh, who earned his third first-team All-Pro honor in five years, played one of his best games in the Lions’ loss Sunday, and after the game, he couldn’t contain his emotions. About 90 seconds into his post-game news conference, which began with his request to focus on the game and not his future, he walked off the podium in tears as the emotions overwhelmed him.

“Honestly, I just didn’t expect this,” he said, trying to explain what was going through his head. “That’s what it comes down to.”

He returned about a minute later and provided thoughtful responses after what could’ve been his final game with the Lions.

“I’m speechless,” Suh said. “We played very, very hard. I think this defense put it all out there. This team put it all out there, and like I said, I didn’t expect this outcome. It’s sickening.”

Suh declined one question about how enjoying the ride with the 11-5 Lions and a tight-knit defensive line would impact his decision in free agency. But after two sacks — on back-to-back fourth-quarter plays — and two tackles for loss, Suh further solidified the Lions’ desire to re-sign him.

“That (will) continue to be one of our highest priorities,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “That’s going to be addressed constantly here until we come to some conclusion.”

REPORT CARD VS. COWBOYS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B-minus — Matthew Stafford was great in the first quarter as he engineered two touchdown drives, but he and the passing game fell off steeply in the second half. He finished 28 of 42 for 323 yards with one touchdown and an interception on the first play of the third quarter. He also fumbled twice on the final drive. Golden Tate had six catches for 89 yards, including a 51-yard touchdown on the Lions’ opening possession. But Calvin Johnson couldn’t hit any signature plays as he finished with five catches for 85 yards with a long of 28.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: C — The Lions averaged 4.1 yards per carry, but ran for just 21 yards in the second half despite having the lead for nearly the entire time. Joique Bell led the Lions with 12 carries for 43 yards, and Reggie Bush added eight carries for 37 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown with an impressive first cut and break to the edge. But besides a few nice plays in the pass game, Bush’s run was really the only highlight.

–PASS DEFENSE: B — This is tough to grade because the Lions defense held the Cowboys in check for so long, and sacking Tony Romo six times and holding Dez Bryant to three catches for 48 yards is impressive. But a breakdown on a 76-yard touchdown pass to Terrance Williams was costly as were some late penalties and other lapses on third and fourth downs.

–RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus — The Lions held DeMarco Murray well below his typical 115-yard average, but he gained most of his 75 rushing yards later in the game and helped provide balance when the Cowboys needed it. Once again, just a few lapses led to problems for the Lions with a few missed tackles and a failure to stop Murray on a fourth-and-goal at the 1.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: D — As it has for most of the year, special teams were incredibly unreliable for the Lions. Sam Martin’s 10-yard punt came at the absolute worst time. Jeremy Ross muffed a punt, though he recovered it, and also returned one kickoff to the 5. Once again, the negative plays far out-weighed the positive, and the Lions should’ve used Golden Tate on more than the first punt return.

–COACHING: C-minus — The decision to pass to Brandon Pettigrew on what proved to be the critical third-and-1 in the fourth quarter was a head-scratcher, especially considering Golden Tate and Joique Bell weren’t on the field. Then, they should’ve gone for it on the next play, which followed the overturned pass interference, because the Cowboys offense was rolling in the second half. The Lions were far too conservative even though they should have a high-powered offense, but Teryl Austin’s defensive game plan was solid.