NFL officiating crews often play a large part in determining which teams win or lose each week. As on-the-field arbiters of the league’s rulebook, officials have the power to destroy an offense’s momentum, or hurt a defense’s chance of preventing a team from advancing within range of a game-winning field-goal attempt. All with the toss of a yellow flag.
There are 17 NFL officiating crews, and they are assigned to games each week, depending on how many games are played. With no more bye weeks, Week 15 will feature 16 games; Alex Kemp’s crew has the week off. In the Broncos-Lions game Saturday night, John Hussey will be officiating his 350th NFL game.
Below are Week 15 assignments for the NFL officiating crews, along with a detailed look at which teams might be helped or hurt by who will be calling penalties at their game this week.
Head official: Ron Torbert
CHARGERS | RAIDERS | |
Penalties called/game | 4.8 (t-30th) | 4.6 (32nd) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 4.4-5.3 | 4.0-5.3 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (21) | Defensive back (13) |
Most common penalty | False start (10) | False start (12) |
Las Vegas Raiders. While Torbert’s crew throws more flags than any crew in the league, the home team ends up winning most of the time, and the Raiders are the least penalized team in the league. Torbert’s crew is the league leader in false start calls.
Head official: Bill Vinovich
VIKINGS | BENGALS | |
Penalties called/game | 4.8 (31st) | 5.1 (29th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.0-4.7 | 5.3-4.8 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (16) | Defensive back (16) |
Most common penalty | Offensive holding (15) | False start (11) |
Cincinnati Bengals. Vinovich’s crew appears to favor the home team in terms of the flags thrown, and the Vikings’ offensive line in particular will be susceptible on the road.
Head official: Adrian Hill
STEELERS | COLTS | |
Penalties called/game | 5.4 (25th) | 6.2 (16th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.4-5.4 | 6.5-6.0 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (28) | Offensive line (25) |
Most common penalty | False start, off. hold, def. hold (7) | False start (18) |
Indianapolis Colts. In terms of penalties, Hill’s crew is the most home-friendly in the league, even if the home win percentage doesn’t quite show it.
Head official: John Hussey
BRONCOS | LIONS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.3 (15th) | 5.8 (19th-t) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 7.0-5.5 | 6.0-5.7 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (23) | Defensive back (25) |
Most common penalty | False start (16) | Offensive holding (17) |
Detroit Lions. Hussey’s crew tosses the most flags of all the NFL officiating crews and skews toward the home team more than most. The Lions, however, have been dinged 10 times for defensive pass interference, so that bears watching.
Head official: Land Clark
FALCONS | PANTHERS | |
Penalties called/game | 5.2 (t-27th) | 6.5 (t-8th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.4-4.8 | 6.6-6.5 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (23) | Offensive line (27) |
Most common penalty | False start (16) | False start (23) |
Atlanta Falcons. Clark’s crew throws the third-most flags overall among NFL officiating crews, ranks third in offensive holding calls, and is slightly friendlier toward road teams.
Head official: Brad Allen
BEARS | BROWNS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.5 (8th) | 6.6 (7th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 7.0-6.0 | 6.4-6.8 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (32) | Offensive line (27) |
Most common penalty | False start (20) | Offensive holding (16) |
Cleveland Browns. This is nearly a push, but Allen’s crew is kinder to home teams than most of the NFL officiating crews, and the Bears’ offensive line is among the most penalized position groups in the league.
Head official: Tra Blake
BUCCANEERS | PACKERS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.3 (13th) | 6.9 (t-3rd) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 6.2-6.4 | 8.0-6.0 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (25) | Defensive back (26) |
Most common penalty | Offensive holding (18) | False start (18) |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. None of the NFL officiating crews throws more defensive pass interference calls than Blake’s does, making the Packers more vulnerable, since their DBs are the team’s most penalized group.
Head official: Clete Blakeman
TEXANS | TITANS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.5 (t-8th) | 6.7 (6th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.9-7.2 | 7.0-6.5 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (24) | Defensive back (26) |
Most common penalty | Defensive PI, Off. holding (13) | False start (25) |
Tennessee Titans. The Texans lead the league in flags for defensive pass interference calls, and Blakeman’s crew ranks third in that category among the NFL officiating crews.
Head official: Brad Rogers
JETS | DOLPHINS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.9 (t-3rd) | 5.7 (23rd) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 6.8-7.2 | 5.0-6.3 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (24) | Offensive line (25) |
Most common penalty | False start (24) | Offensive holding (20) |
Miami Dolphins. Just looking at the home-road splits shows this to be a favorable matchup for the Dolphins, even though Rogers’ crew ranks first among the NFL officiating crews in terms of offensive holding calls.
Head official: Shawn Hochuli
CHIEFS | PATRIOTS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.4 (12th) | 5.8 (t-24th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.5-7.1 | 5.3-6.1 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (34) | Defensive back (17) |
Most common penalty | Offensive holding (22) | False start (14) |
New England Patriots. The Patriots might get some officiating help due to Hochuli’s crew being more home-friendly and the Chiefs ranking No. 1 in offensive holding calls.
Head official: Carl Cheffers
GIANTS | SAINTS | |
Penalties called/game | 5.5 (24th) | 6.1 (18th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.2-5.7 | 4.5-7.4 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (24) | Defensive back (23) |
Most common penalty | False start, off. holding (16) | Offensive holding (20) |
New Orleans Saints. Cheffers’ crew, which made the offsides call against the Chiefs’ Kadarius Toney last Sunday, might be the most neutral among the 17 NFL officiating crews. But its tendency to ding offensive lines favors the Saints, who tend to get flagged much less at home anyway.
Head official: Alan Eck
COMMANDERS | RAMS | |
Penalties called/game | 5.2 (t-26th) | 5.8 (t-17th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 3.7-6.4 | 6.3-5.4 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (20) | Defensive back (22) |
Most common penalty | False start (13) | Offensive holding (16) |
Los Angeles Rams. Almost a push. Along with skewing toward the home team, Eck’s crew throws the second-least number of flags for defensive pass interference and is among the most defensive-friendly overall of the 17 NFL officiating crews.
Head official: Scott Novak
49ERS | CARDINALS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.3 (t-13th) | 6.5 (t-8th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 5.5-7.0 | 6.7-6.4 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (26) | Offensive line (30) |
Most common penalty | False start (15) | Offensive holding (20) |
San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals draw the third-most offensive holding calls, and that’s what Novak’s crew calls more often than most.
Head official: Craig Wrolstad
COWBOYS | BILLS | |
Penalties called/game | 7.5 (1st) | 6.8 (5th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 6.7-8.3 | 6.2-7.3 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (28) | Offensive line (23) |
Most common penalty | Offensive holding (21) | Offensive holding (18) |
Buffalo Bills. The Cowboys are the most penalized team in the league, so they will rarely gain an advantage from the officiating. It could be a long day for Dallas’ defensive backs.
Head official: Shawn Smith
RAVENS | JAGUARS | |
Penalties called/game | 6.2 (t-16th) | 5.2 (t-26th) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 6.3-6.0 | 4.8-5.6 |
Most penalized position | Offensive line (27) | Offensive line (23) |
Most common penalty | False start & off. holding (15) | False start (22) |
Baltimore Ravens. Of all the NFL officiating crews, Smith’s crew heavily skews toward the road team, and the Jaguars rank fourth in false start calls.
Head official: Clay Martin
EAGLES | SEAHAWKS | |
Penalties called/game | 5.8 (t-19th) | 7.4 (2nd) |
Home-road penalty split/game | 6.5-5.1 | 6.7-8.0 |
Most penalized position | Defensive back (20) | Offensive line (23) |
Most common penalty | False start (17) | False start (17) |
Philadelphia Eagles. The Seahawks rank second in terms of penalties called, and Martin’s crew likes to throw flags at offensive linemen, especially for offensive holding.