Week one of the NFL had a Controversial ending Monday night involving former Tar Heel [autotag]Chazz Surratt[/autotag].
The New York Jets took on the Buffalo Bills with the world watching Aaron Rodgers debut in green and white. That debut did not last long with Rodgers leaving the game early into the first quarter and would not return with speculation of a season-ending injury.
Despite no Rodgers, the Jets remained in the game, largely thanks to their defense forcing Bills quarterback Josh Allen into three interceptions and two fumbles. The game would eventually go into overtime, with the Bills failing to do anything on their first possession.
That is when the play that broke social media happened. The Bills punted the ball off to Xavier Gipson, who took it 65 yards to the end zone to win the game for New York. However, that play would not happen if it was not for Surratt’s block that opened the field for Gipson’s walk-off touchdown.
Xavier Gipson’s walk-off punt return.
Chazz Surratt w/ the key block.
Unreal. pic.twitter.com/6c5mk7hTB4
— John Ellis (@1PantherPlace) September 12, 2023
Once the game ended, what appeared to be a great block leading to the touchdown had some looking at it as an illegal tripping call that the refs just missed. ESPN’s John Parry talked about the call following the touchdown.
“It is big, but you’ve gotta put an asterisk on it because there’s a tripping call that was not made. “Parry said . “A trip, a leg whip, right near the 23-yard line, No. 55, which would have brought the touchdown back.”.
This uprooted social media as some defended Surratt, feeling like the block was legal, and others questioned whether it was a missed call.
Let us look at how social media reacted to Surratt’s game-winning block/trip.