Steratore Changes View of Doubs’ Touchdown vs. Surtain

What was the ruling on Jordan Love's touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs vs. Patrick Surtain during Sunday's Packers-Broncos game?

Update: Former NFL referee Gene Steratore says he was wrong about the Romeo Doubs touchdown. His correction can be found toward the bottom of this story, which was posted after the game on Sunday.

DENVER – The Green Bay Packers got back into Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos on Romeo Doubs’ contested touchdown catch against Patrick Surtain.

On the CBS broadcast, former NFL referee Gene Steratore – the ref for Super Bowl LII – said the play should have been ruled an interception because Surtain was the first player to control the ball with two feet on the ground. 

He repeated that assertion on X.

IMO in #GBvsDEN, the DB fulfilled the process of the catch before the WR did. After the defender possessed the ball, both of his feet and then his knee were down in-bounds prior to the WR's.

This would make this play an interception.https://t.co/Jp8XuPZtdL

— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) October 22, 2023

Nonsense, said Sunday’s referee, Alex Kemp, and NFL vice president of officiating Walt Anderson.

“We ruled on the field that the Green Bay receiver controlled the ball while airborne and came to the ground and never lost control of the ball and, therefore, by rule, it is a touchdown,” Kemp told Jeff Legwold, ESPN.com’s Broncos beat writer and the Pro Football Writers of America’s pool reporter for the game.

Steratore’s interpretation about feet and possession was incorrect, Kemp said.

The play was reviewed at the league office in New York, as are all scoring plays.

“Since the ruling on the field was a touchdown, we reviewed the play for the elements of a catch, which were control and maintaining control when he went to the ground, and then the receiver kept control of the ball,” Anderson said. “There were no views that showed that the receiver ever lost control of the ball from the time he initially possessed it until he completed the catch process on the ground.”

Just like baseball, where the tie goes to the runner, in football, a tie goes to the offensive player.

Touchdown by Romeo Doubs? Interception by Patrick Surtain? :: Photo by Ron Chenoy/USA Today Sports Images

Though that apparently was not the ruling of Jordan Love’s touchdown pass.

“I think what you’re asking about is a simultaneous possession,” Kemp said. “That’s not what we ruled on the field. But had we ruled that on the field, it would still be a touchdown. By rule, simultaneous possession is a touchdown, or is a catch by the receiver.”

Broncos coach Sean Payton sided with Steratore’s version of the play.

This is such a fascinating play, and interesting call. Happy it worked out for the Packers. But still can't see why it wasn't an INT. Surtain's hands got their first, stayed on the whole time (Doubs re-adjusted momentarily) and were underneath Doubs hands in the middle of the… pic.twitter.com/5lrNJ1dW8z

— Steve Czaban (@czabe) October 23, 2023

“When you have two on it in the end zone, your feet down, I think we’re going to see that was something maybe that should have been called the other way,” he said. “We kind of all grow up with the idea of tie goes to and who wrestles it out of the arms, but if you have two clean hands on it when you land in the end zone – I was a little surprised.”

On Tuesday, Steratore corrected his assessment of the play.

No matter what you do, owning up and taking accountability is how you get better. My interpretation of the play in #GBvsDEN was incorrect. I overthought it and just missed it.

As a ref (whether grade school or pro), you learn the most from the <5% of calls that you miss. https://t.co/V3exK1hYyL

— Gene Steratore (@GeneSteratore) October 24, 2023

The touchdown cut the Packers’ deficit to 16-10. Another touchdown, with the ball going through Doubs’ hands and into the mitts of Jayden Reed, put Green Bay in front 17-16. Denver, however, kicked the go-ahead field goal and intercepted Love to win the game.

“That is huge for us,” Surtain said. “We always preach about finishing games and closing it out. Play like that, with the ball in the air, it’s ours. P.J. [Locke] made a great play on the ball. We preach that week in and week out, finishing ball games, especially when the ball is in our court. We expect as a defense, as a unit, to close games and that is what we did.”

More Green Bay Packers News

Here's our weekly #Packers report card, in which I turn to the legendary folk singer Loudon Wainwright III's "Dead Skunk" for the pertinent analysis. ⬇️⬇️https://t.co/SZdgCFwxjN

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) October 23, 2023

It’s time to ask the toughest question

Report card from loss to Broncos

Broncos 19, Packers 17: Sunday Six-Pack

Broncos 19, Packers 17: Game story