Jets player fined for missed call that would have prevented winning touchdown

16 September 2023 , 22:52

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New York Jets star Chazz Surratt #55 has reportedly been fined following the game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills (Image: Elsa/Getty Images)

New York Jets linebacker Chazz Surratt has been fined following the game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.

The Jets won the Week One opener on Monday Night Football thanks to an overtime touchdown from Xavier Gipson with a walk-off punt return. The Jets went on to win the game 22-16 against their AFC East in the NFL.

Gipson completed a 65-yard punt return to score a touchdown in overtime for the Jets. The undrafted free agent signed in the off-season and was named as part of the 53-man roster, before going on to win the game in his NFL debut.

Now, though, Surratt has been fined for "unnecessary roughness" during the play that won the game. The Jets linebacker has been fined $4,833 (£3,902) for tripping Bills tight end Quintin Morris during the touchdown.

The call for the touchdown was allowed to stand during the game, which meant that the Jets won the contest. But former NFL referee John Parry said during ESPN’s broadcast of the game that a trip by Surratt was not spotted and would have meant that the touchdown should not have been allowed to stand.

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“You’ve gotta put an asterisk on it because there’s a tripping call that was not made,” Parry . “A trip, a leg whip, right near the 23-yard line, No. 55 [Surratt], which would have brought the touchdown back.”

The Jets may have won the game, but the night was arguably overshadowed by the injury to Aaron Rodgers. The veteran quarterback sustained an Achilles' injury in just the fourth play of the game and was forced helped off the field before being carted away to receive medical treatment.

It was later announced that Rodgers underwent surgery and would be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Rodgers had been acquired from the Green Bay Packers in April, which has led to an increased amount of hype and excitement around the 2023 season for the Jets.

Now head coach Robert Saleh will look to Zach Wilson to step in and perform in the aftermath of Rodgers’ injury. Wilson had spent the previous two years starting the majority of games as QB for the Jets but became the backup after the arrival of Rodgers. He will now return to being a starter for the year unless a new quarterback is added to the roster before the trade deadline on October 31.

Mark Wakefield