Upon the start of Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, a rather curious situation took place during the coin toss.

After Dallas won the coin toss, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott informed head referee Walt Anderson that the ‘Boys would like to kick….and then “defer” their possession to the second half.

Yet, what Anderson heard was interpreted differently. He thought Prescott meant the Cowboys would kick…and the Rams would receive the football in first AND second half. Soon after, the flap was explained on TV by Joe Buck of FOX.

Prescott did say the Cowboys would defer until the second half but after he said the words kick twice. If you listen to the clip below from Cowboys radio play-by-play announcer Brad Sham, he caught Prescott’s error immediately.

Unfortunately, Anderson should not go without blame. In what universe would a team want the opponent to have the football to open both halves? That’s especially the case when Prescott legitimately said the word “defer.”

As FOX officiating analyst Mike Pereira said during the first half, what we have here is a “common sense issue.” Officials seem to struggle with that these days.

That common sense issue was solved at halftime when the NFL officiating crew in New York overruled Anderson and opted to give the football to the Cowboys to begin the second half because Prescott said Dallas would defer to the second half.