nfl referee assignments for week 15

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NFL officiating crews for Week 15 games and which teams could benefit the most

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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.

Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) at Las Vegas Raiders (5-8), 8:15 p.m. ET

Head official: Ron Torbert

Torbert’s crew: 2023 stats

• Games officiated: 13
• Penalties: 13.5 called/game (1st out of 17)
• Home team win %: 76.9 (21.6 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 50.9 (7th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (3.9 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (5.0 calls/game)

Who benefits the most?

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.

Minnesota Vikings (7-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-6), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Bill Vinovich

Vinovich’s crew: 2023 stats

• Games officiated: 12
• Penalties: 11.9 called/game (out of 17)
• Home team win %: 41.7 (13.62 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 53.1 (3rd out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.4 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.4 calls/game)

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.

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) at Indianapolis Colts (7-6), 4:30 p.m. ET

Head official: Adrian Hill

Hill’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.33 called/game (tied 8th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 58.33 (3.04 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 42.6 (17th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.58 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.33 calls/game)

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.

Denver Broncos (7-6) at Detroit Lions (9-4), 8:15 p.m. ET

Head official: John Hussey

Hussey’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 13.92 called/game (1st out of 17)
• Home team win %: 75.0 (19.71 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 44.9 (15th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (3.83 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (2.58 calls/game)

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.

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) at Carolina Panthers (1-12), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Land Clark

Clark’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 13.0 called/game (3rd out of 17)
• Home team win %: 25.0 (30.29 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 45.3 (13th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.92 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (4.33 calls/game)

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.

Chicago Bears (5-8) at Cleveland Browns (8-5), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Brad Allen

Allen’s crew: 2023 stats

• Games officiated: 11
• Penalties: 10.83 called/game (16th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 45.45 (9.84 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 46.2 (12th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.3 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (3.2 calls/game)

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.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) at Green Bay Packers (6-7), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Tra Blake

Blake’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.75 called/game (5th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 50.0 (5.29 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 51.0 (6th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.7 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (4.0 calls/game)

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.

Houston Texans (7-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-8), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Clete Blakeman

Blakeman’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.3 called/game (12th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 75.0 (19.7 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 47.4 (11th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.0 calls/game)

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.

New York Jets (5-8) at Miami Dolphins (9-4), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Brad Rogers

Rogers’ crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.6 called/game (6th out of 17)
• % of penalties called on home team: 48.8 (9th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (3.2 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.5 calls/game)

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.

Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) at New England Patriots (3-10), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Shawn Hochuli

Hochuli’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.3 called/game (9th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 66.7 (11.38 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 44.6 (15th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.6 calls/game)

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.

New York Giants (5-8) at New Orleans Saints (6-7), 1 p.m. ET

Head official: Carl Cheffers

Cheffers’ crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.6 called/game (11th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 50.0 (5.3 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 49.6 (8th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (2.3 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (2.8 calls/game)

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.

Washington Commanders (4-9) at Los Angeles Rams (6-7), 4:05 p.m. ET

Head official: Alan Eck

Eck’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.0 called/game (15th out of 17)
• % of penalties called on home team: 48.5 (10th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: False start (1.8 calls/game)

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.

San Francisco 49ers (10-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-10), 4:05 p.m. ET

Head official: Scott Novak

Novak’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.0 called/game (14th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 61.5 (6.2 above norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 51.0 (5th out of 17)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.2 calls/game)

San Francisco 49ers . The Cardinals draw the third-most offensive holding calls, and that’s what Novak’s crew calls more often than most.

Dallas Cowboys (10-3) at Buffalo Bills (7-6), 4:25 p.m. ET

Head official: Craig Wrolstad

Wrolstad’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 11.1 called/game (13th out of 17)
• % of penalties called on home team: 54.1 (2nd out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.1 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Defensive back (2.9 calls/game)

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.

Baltimore Ravens (10-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5), 8:20 p.m. ET

Head official: Shawn Smith

Smith’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 12.4 called/game (7th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 16.7 (38.6 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 53.0 (4th out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding & false start (1.8 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.3 calls/game)

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.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) at Seattle Seahawks (6-7), 8:15 p.m. ET

Head official: Clay Martin

Martin’s crew: 2023 stats

• Penalties: 10.6 called/game (17th out of 17)
• Home team win %: 41.7 (13.7 below norm)
• % of penalties called on home team: 55.1 (1st out of 17)
• Most common penalty called: Offensive holding (2.8 calls/game)
• Most penalized position group: Offensive line (3.1 calls/game)

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.

More About: NFL

NCAA and NFL Referee news

Thursday, Dec. 17

• Chargers at Raiders  —  John Hussey

Saturday, Dec. 19

• Bills at Broncos  —  Clete Blakeman
• Panthers at Packers  —  Alex Kemp

Sunday, Dec. 20

• Lions at Titans  —  Jerome Boger
• 49ers at Cowboys  —  Land Clark
• Texans at Colts  —  Bill Vinovich
• Buccaneers at Falcons  —  Brad Rogers
• Patriots at Dolphins  —  Brad Allen
• Bears at Vikings  —  Shawn Smith
• Seahawks at Washington  —  Adrian Hill
• Jaguars at Ravens  —  Carl Cheffers
• Eagles at Cardinals  —  Craig Wrolstad
• Jets at Rams  —  Tony Corrente
• Chiefs at Saints  —  Scott Novak
• Browns at Giants  —  Shawn Hochuli

Monday, Dec. 21

• Steelers at Bengals  —  Clay Martin

NFL Referee Assignment for Super Bowl 58 & Impact on NFL Betting

We tend to only focus on NFL referees after a controversial decision or bad no-call. Yet each head NFL referee and his respective crew interprets the game differently.

Gaining insight into the way a game will be officiated can have immense value in the betting market.

A referee who calls more penalties for defensive holding and roughing the passer has a far different impact on game flow than a ref who focuses more on offensive holding and false starts.

Referee style one week may hide a team’s weakness (defensive backs), but a different official who leans heavily on calling pass interference will compound that weakness the next week.

Same team. Different outcomes.

Throughout this 2023 NFL season, we’ll help to identify important trends and tendencies by different NFL referees to help you gain an edge when placing a bet .

Sharp Football Analysis has every angle of Chiefs vs. 49ers covered in our Super Bowl 58 Hub .

NFL Referee Assignment for Super Bowl 58

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Bill Vinovich’s Impact on Chiefs vs. 49ers in Super Bowl 58

The Chiefs and 49ers meet in Super Bowl 58. The game will officiated by Bill Vinovich, his third Super Bowl as a head referee.

Bill Vnovich was in charge of proceedings in the Chiefs’ 31-20 victory over the 49ers in Super Bowl 54 to conclude the 2019 NFL season. This game marks the first time the same referee has officiated a Super Bowl rematch.

Vinovich is the epitome of a “let ‘em play” referee, especially in postseason games.

We have detailed the decline in offensive holding penalties throughout these playoffs versus regular season averages. Expect that to continue in Super Bowl 58.

San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa brought the issue to the media’s and hopefully the officiating crew’s attention in the lead-up to the big game.

The Chiefs have been the number one beneficiary of the reduction in offensive holding in the playoffs. It would be an ideal scenario for the 49ers to see more offensive holding calls in Super Bowl 58, but that is unlikely.

The all-star officiating crew is a topic of conversation when assessing the Super Bowl. How can we preview a game if the referee in charge doesn’t have the entirety of his regular season crew on the field?

It’s a valid point, and we did an in-depth look at this last week.

If there is one surefire playoff trend, regardless of the crew makeup and the head referee, it’s the emphasis on reducing overall penalties.

Look for the Vinovich-led crew in Super Bowl 58 to follow that script.

Now, let’s assess the strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the Super Bowl from a penalty perspective and how the officiating of the Bill Vinovich-led crew will potentially impact these games

Penalty Tendencies:

• Since Bill Vinovich’s first Super Bowl as a head referee between the Patriots and Seahawks in 2015, his games are averaging 9.5 penalties for 78.4 yards. Keep these numbers in mind for any penalty props that may be available for this Super Bowl
• The Chiefs overall offense and offensive line issues were well-documented throughout the 2023 season. The penalty issues for the Kansas City offense have seen a sharp decline in their playoff run
• The Chiefs averaged 5.3 penalties per game in the 2023 regular season, with 63% committed by their offense. That averages out to around 3.5 offensive penalties per game
• The Chiefs are averaging just 2.6 penalties per game on their current playoff run, with the offense responsible for 70% of penalties. That amounts to around 1.8 offensive penalties per game, a significant drop from the regular season average. Since the drop in offensive penalties is primarily via offensive holding, it’s a huge boon to a Kansas City offense that struggled at times in 2023
• The decline in offensive holding is standard operating procedure every season in the playoffs. The NFL wants an aesthetically pleasing product in highly viewed postseason games. It just so happens Kansas City is the biggest beneficiary of this in 2023
• The 49ers offense is responsible for just 46% of the team’s overall penalties in 2023, with their offensive line responsible for just 24% of the team’s overall penalties
• The 49ers were a below-average penalized team for offensive holding in 2023
• In their Super Bowl 54 matchup in 2020, there was one offensive holding penalty called by Vinovich’s crew. More notable in that game were the non-calls, particularly in situations involving the aforementioned Nick Bosa 
• The 49ers and Chiefs defensive units are the two least impactful at generating offensive holding penalties on the opposing offenses in 2023, ranking 31st and 32nd respectively. In their five combined playoff games in the 2023-24 playoffs, these defenses have generated one accepted offensive holding penalty and have had one additional call declined
• Vinovich ranks second for false start penalties per game
• The 49ers and Chiefs share a common trait in penalties surrendered via passing plays. Defensive pass interference makes up the bulk of penalties surrendered in this category, with 61% of the Chiefs’ infractions and 58% of the 49ers’
• The back judge in Super Bowl 58 is from the Land Clark crew. One of the more controversial no-calls in 2023 came in Chiefs at Vikings in Week 5. It was a late-game defensive pass interference by L’Jarius Sneed on Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison . The flag was thrown by the side judge but picked up after a discussion with the back judge and head referee Land Clark.
• The 49ers and Chiefs offenses are top five beneficiaries of defensive holding infractions
• The Vinovich-led crew has members from the Clark, Shawn Hochuli, and Tra Blake crews. All three were above average calling defensive holding.
• Vinovich is co-ranked number one for illegal use of hands penalties and second overall for illegal block in the back penalties in 2023. These are two categories the Chiefs are highly penalized in versus league average. These infractions are more likely to get called in Super Bowl 58 with the Vinovich and Hochuli crews heavily represented in this game
• No referee has called fewer roughing the passer penalties than Vinovich since the start of the 2018 NFL season, averaging one approximately every seventh game officiated. This is far fewer than other referees over that same stretch. Across the board, the average is one roughing the passer penalty approximately every 2.5 games officiated. Keep these roughing the passer numbers in mind for penalty-specific prop bets in Super Bowl 58
• In playoff games, Vinovich-led crews have called just one roughing the passer penalty in 14 contests officiated since the 2012 season. The inclusion of two Hochuli crew members is the only cause for concern about roughing the passer, as they led the NFL in this category. However, at the end of the day, Vinovich runs this outfit and his numbers override everything else.
• Conversely, Vinovich-led crews in those 14 playoff games have called 13 unnecessary roughness penalties
• Pre-snap penalties are to be avoided at all costs. The Chiefs were one of the best in the NFL this season, ranking 30th overall. It’s worth noting, four of the five teams with the fewest pre-snap penalties in 2023 made the playoffs

Bottom Line:

• Vinovich-led crews are 60-39-2 (60%) to the under since the start of the 2018 NFL season, including 10-7 (60%) to the under in 2023
• In playoff games dating back to 2012, Vinovich is 9-8 to the under. The Chiefs’ 31-20 victory in Super Bowl 54 stayed under the closing total of 52.5 points. We are dealing with a far lower number in this contest
• A little-mentioned factor in the lead-up to this game is the new grass field surface at Allegiant Stadium. Last year’s surface in Arizona was a debacle, and it favored the offenses. From an in-game wagering perspective, the focus on offensive holding, or the probable lack thereof, is issue No. 1. The second piece to the puzzle is field conditions. Those two factors alone will impact the total as much as anything else

If the 49ers bring their “A” game, they can win Super Bowl 58. At their best, San Francisco looked near unbeatable in the 2023 season.

However, it’s been a while since we’ve seen that form, and frankly, they were fortunate to win their first two playoff games.

We thought the Ravens would be a tough out in the AFC Championship, but the moment proved to be too big for them.

The positive for the 49ers is that they have a loaded roster with high-IQ players who shouldn’t make the same discipline-related errors that contributed to the Ravens’ downfall. The team needs to play its best game from the get-go in Super Bowl 58.

Conversely, the Chiefs’ fast starts have had them largely control games during their playoff run. Its coaching staff and its core group of players provide them with an edge in this matchup. This is especially true at the quarterback position.

The bottom line is they won’t beat themselves, making the Kansas City Chiefs the play in this game and the winner of Super Bowl 58.

Bet 49ers vs. Chiefs Now!

Super Bowl 58 Referee Crew & Penalty Trend

Heading into the 2023 NFL playoffs, the three referees most likely to officiate the Super Bowl were Bill Vinovich, John Hussey, and Shawn Hochuli. It’s no surprise five of the seven Super Bowl officials are members are from these crews.

Two members apiece are from the Bill Vinovich and Shawn Hochuli crews.

The remaining three officials are from the John Hussey, Tra Blake, and Land Clark officiating crews.

These five crews represent 30% of all officiating crews in the NFL, which is a key number when detailing the following penalty categories.

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NFL Referee Assignments Week 16: Refs Assigned for Sunday and Monday Games

T here were 150 penalties accepted in 16 games in Week 15, the lowest penalty total for any week during the season. The previous low for a week was 153 penalties accepted in Week 5 with 14 games. The lowest total for a full week with 16 games was 172 back in Week 12. The most in a week this season was 210 penalties accepted with 16 games in Week 4.

This week, with 16 games, there will only be one crew without an assignment for this week.

Let’s take a look at the officiating assignments for this week.

NFL Referee Assignments for Week 16

All times Eastern and game day Sunday unless stated otherwise. All penalty stat information is courtesy of NFLPenalties.com .

Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 p.m.

Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers | 1:00 p.m.

Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans | 1:00 p.m.

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings | 1:00 p.m.

Washington Commanders at New York Jets | 1:00 p.m.

Clay Martin

Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans | 1:00 p.m.

Shawn Smith

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4:05 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears | 4:25 p.m.

John Hussey

Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins | 4:25 p.m.

Shawn Hochuli

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos | 8:15 p.m.

Carl Cheffers

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs | 1:00 p.m. (Monday)

Clete Blakeman

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles | 4:30 p.m. (Monday)

Ron Torbert

Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers | 8:15 p.m. (Monday)

Bill Vinovich

Shawn Hochuli and his crew will be in Miami to see the Cowboys and Dolphins for the first time this season.

Last week, Dallas committed roughing the passer and roughing the kicker penalties to extend two Buffalo touchdown drives in the Bills 31-10 victory. The Cowboys have been called for an NFL-high 102 accepted penalties for 872 yards, the second-highest yardage total.

MORE: NFL Prime-Time Games 2023

Bill Vinovich’s crew will handle the Ravens and 49ers game on Monday night. This is the first time the crew has seen the 49ers and the second game with the Ravens. In Week 6 with Vinovich’s crew, Baltimore was called for nine penalties, tied for the team’s second-most in a game this season. The Titans were called for six penalties in the Ravens 24-16 win.

Each season, officials are assigned to referees from the NFL’s officiating roster . You can see the full crews for the 2023 season in our handy guide.

Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor ? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings ? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule ? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!