referee assignments nfl week 18 2023

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Nfl reveals announcers for week 18, share this article, pittsburgh steelers at baltimore ravens, jan. 6, espn/abc, 1:30 p.m..

(Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Announcers: Chris Fowler, Louis Riddick, Dan Orlovsky, Laura Rutledge

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, Jan. 6, ESPN/ABC, 8:15 p.m. ET

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers, Jan. 7, FOX, 1 p.m.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, Shannon Spake

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, Jan. 7, CBS, 1 p.m.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers; Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely, Tiffany Blackmon

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, Jan. 7, FOX, 1 p.m.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver

New York Jets at New England Patriots, Jan. 7, FOX, 1 p.m,.

Announcers: Chris Myers, Robert Smith, Jen Hale

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, Jan. 7, CBS. 1 p.m.

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan, AJ Ross

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans, Jan. 7, CBS, 1 p.m.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, Jan. 7, FOX, 4:25 p.m.

Announcers; Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez, Laura Okmin

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, Jan. 7, CBS. 4:25 p.m.

(Photo by Matthew Eisman/Getty Images)

Announcers: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers, Jan. 7, CBS, 4:25 p.m.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta, Aditi Kinkhabwala

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Raiders, Jan. 7, FOX, 4:25 p.m.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Jason Benetti, Matt Millen, Megan Olivi

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, Jan. 7, CBS, 4:25 p.m.

(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Announcers: Ian Eagle. Charles Davis, Evan Washburn

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers, Jan. 7, FOX, 4:25 p.m.

Announcers: Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth, Kristina Pink

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders, Jan. 7, FOX, 4:25 p.m.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, Jan. 7, NBC. 8:20 p.m.

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark

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Referee scott novak's crew assigned to work chiefs-raiders game, share this article.

Fourth-year NFL referee Scott Novak and his crew are set to officiate the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 18 game against the Las Vegas Raiders according to Football Zebras .

Novak officiated the team’s Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals, so the team will finish the season with the same officiating crew they began with. Novak’s crew called eight penalties for 74 yards in that game, with five penalties called on the Cardinals (home team) and three on the Chiefs (away team).

Through 15 games this season, the 182 flags thrown by Novak’s crew rank seventh in the league out of 17 officiating crews. His crew has called 10 more penalties on the home team (96) compared to the away team (86). Their 24 dismissed penalties tie for the fourth-fewest in the NFL.

False start (40) and offensive holding (30) are the penalties called with the most frequency by this crew. Defensive holding (17), defensive pass interference (14) and delay of game (11) are also among the penalties in the double-digits for Novak.

The Raiders have seven delay-of-game penalties this season, which is tied for the second-most in the NFL. That’ll be something to watch with this crew and a new quarterback under center in Jarrett Stidham.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs lead the league in defensive pass interference penalties with 13. That’s to be expected with a group of rookies in the secondary, but against a vertical passing game that features Davante Adams it could be especially troubling with this crew.

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NFL Referee Assignments Divisional Round Games: Refs Assigned for This Weekend

W hile the regular season sees each NFL ref have a consistent crew from week to week, that changes in the playoffs. The league grades an official’s performance each game they work during the regular season. The grading is part of how officials are assigned to postseason crews.

The four referees assigned to games this weekend were off during the Wild Card games. Each referee has some members of their regular crew with them this weekend.

NFL Referee Assignments for Divisional Round Games

All penalty stat information is courtesy of NFLPenalties.com . 

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens | John Hussey

Houston was one of the most penalized teams in the NFL during the regular season but only had three flags against them in last week’s win against the Cleveland Browns.

Baltimore had 955 penalty yards this season, the third-highest in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys led the league with 1,012 penalty yards in 18 games this season.

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers | Alex Kemp

The 49ers have averaged 5.3 penalties per game in 12 wins and 7.4 penalties per game in five losses. San Francisco had 12 penalties in a Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns and 10 penalties in a Week 16 loss to the Ravens.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions | Bill Vinovich

The Lions have been called for defensive pass interference 12 times this season, the fifth highest in the NFL. The Buccaneers have only been called for defensive pass interference six times this season, the fourth-lowest in the league.

Detroit has been called for illegal contact on defense six times, the third most, while Tampa Bay’s defense has not had an illegal contact penalty.

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills | Shawn Hochuli

Buffalo only had two penalties against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card game to continue a significant trend. The Bills were 6-6 after 12 games and were averaging 6.8 penalties per game. In the last six games, Buffalo has won each game and is averaging four penalties per game.

MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket

The last time these two teams met in Week 14, a penalty decided the game. Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney lined up offsides and negated a 49-yard touchdown that would have given Kansas City a lead with 1:25 left in the game. After the penalty, Patrick Mahomes had three incomplete passes to end their comeback attempt.

Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE  NFL Playoff Predictor ? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of  team depth charts  or the  NFL playoff schedule ? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!

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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.

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Desiree Abrams is out in proud in the NFL Replay Booth and blazing a trail in women’s flag football

Desiree Abrams is an NFL Replay Assistant who is out and proud as a referee in both the NFL and women's flag football.

The first time someone suggested to Desiree Abrams that she become a football official, or even an NFL referee , the hard-hitting player wasn’t having it.

“They’re terrible.”

That was Abrams’ reaction when the general manager of her women’s tackle football team – the DC Divas – suggested she consider officiating football.

It was an offensive suggestion to her at the time, as though someone like Abrams would even consider being part of a group she thought screwed up calls so often.

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Yet the GM had seen something in Abrams: His blossoming player had begun demonstrating an interest in, and attention to, the different parts of the sport beyond just the physical hitting of other people that had attracted her to the sport in the first place.

“I started paying more and more attention to the different aspects of the game,” Abrams said. “My general manager, Rich Daniel, asked me about officiating. And I said, ‘Why would I want to do that? I’m the one who yells at them.'”

With her resistance, he pitched it to her as part of her simply doing her job for the Divas.

“You can learn from them and report back to us with some information,” he told her at the time. It’s a strategy employed by teams at every level across the country, looking for insights from officials, how they view the game, what they won’t call as a foul and what they will.

“I thought, ‘Sure, I can find out what I can get away with,’” Abrams remembered. 

That was the beginning of a pioneering career that has brought Abrams to the NFL Replay Booth on Sundays, working college football games on the field, and coaching other officials across tackle football and the fast-growing sport of women’s flag football. 

Related When will an all-female referee crew officiate an NFL game? With the NFL hiring Karina Tovar as its 4th on-field female referee, the next question is when will the league have an all-women crew. By Cyd Zeigler | April 23, 2024

Very quickly Abrams realized that, despite her increased study of the game, she knew relatively nothing about it. Delving into the rulebook, learning the mechanics of officials — and yes, getting calls wrong — she quickly understood that there was so much more to the inner workings of football games than she could have imagined. 

Officials actually — she soon realized — know what they’re doing.

It took a couple years, but she eventually left the pads for yellow flags, diving into football officiating like she never imagined possible. She worked high school football games, soon joining the Eastern Board of Officials , a mostly Black organization training and elevating football officials. Abrams is still listed as an EBO member.

“They provide a unique opportunity to affect change,” Abrams said of the EBO.

In a recent chapter of her legacy that started with the EBO, she was part of the historic first all-Black NFL officiating crew last season that worked a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders last December.

Could Abrams be part of the NFL’s first all-female officiating crew for a game ? We’re likely a decade away from that possibility.

What is the job of an NFL Replay Assistant?

As a Replay Assistant, Abrams is part of an NFL replay duo, with the Replay Official. They work together in the replay booth as a team, coordinating with a couple other game administrators in the booth, the TV broadcast truck whether it’s CBS, NBC, ESPN or otherwise, the officials on the field and the NFL officiating central command in New York.

The RA, as they’re called, works with the RO every play. They have responsibilities every second of the game: to make sure there are 11 players on each side every play, that no one illegally goes out of bounds on a kickoff, that the ball is spotted on the correct yard line, that a drop wasn’t called a catch, and a plethora of other calls that include challenges by coaches.

Abrams’ role in the NFL replay booth is an important one for the game.

Developing women’s flag football

She is also part of the shift in developing the sport for women. For decades, football’s attention has been entirely on the almost entirely male sport of tackle football.

Yet as girls’ and women’s flag football enter a fast-growing stage in the United States and around the world, Abrams finds herself spending time working both sports.

“With the increase of flag football across the world, that has been taking up a significant amount of my time as well.”

Alongside the NFL, she is working with the NAIA to create a standard rules book for women’s flag football. She hopes to be part of the NCAA rules and development committee when the NCAA commits to women’s flag football as a sanctioned sport. Given the fast-growing interest, that is likely to happen soon.

She’s also a Global Flag Football Ambassador for NFL Flag .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Desiree Abrams (@desiree.s.abrams)

She’s working to train officials to correctly officiate flag football. Officiating the two sports is very different.

Just last week she worked the NAIA Women’s Flag Championships at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, then attended the 2024 CFO National Referee’s Clinic in Dallas for referees in college football.

The football demands on her time are extraordinary.

It’s a lot of work, for which officials like Abrams generally don’t get the credit they deserve, and don’t get the financial reward they deserve either.

Balancing football officiating and marriage to her wife

That can all make balancing a marriage all the more complicated. Abrams knows this well.

Abrams first saw her then-future wife in a salsa and merengue club, called Atlantis, in Tallahassee. At the time, Abrams was a walk-on on the women’s basketball team for the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers. That fleeting encounter left Abrams smitten.

It was a chance meeting later at a friend’s house that this “beautiful brown-skinned woman” happened to be chilling out when Abrams walked in.

“She was flipping her hair and batting her eyes,” Abrams remembered. But still, she wasn’t sure she was available to her. While Abrams wondered if she was interested in dating women, she heard the bad news: The “beautiful brown-skinned woman” was dating another girlfriend at the time.

Two years later when that ended, the two women began dating, ultimately marrying and now living together in Washington, D.C.

Yet as with so many officials, Abrams was also in a pretty intimate relationship with football.

“She definitely made the comment, ‘Either I’m going to love football or hate you,” Abrams remembered. “‘So I guess I need to start learning football. I’ve got to figure out how to cope with this.'”

It’s a refrain common to every football official in a relationship at just about every level. For four to six months of the year, officiating the sport becomes a third wheel. That’s not including off-season training, study and camps.

Abrams and her wife have found a way to make that work.

“It’s a constant relationship negotiation. I do my best to try to plan something once a month, where we go on a date or go on a vacation.” They also have a weekly night-off where it’s just the two of them.

Earlier this year at the Super Bowl, Abrams was very open about being gay and married to a woman, at an event hosted by GLAAD and the NFL .

Ten years from now, Abrams said she would love to be back on the field, working Division I college football. She’d love to be a white-hat.

She’d also entertain being a coordinator of officials for a conference. Or have a front-office job managing officials for women’s flag football.

Still, the smell of the freshly cut grass, or 100-degree-turf in late August, calls to her.

“I love the field. There’s no comparison for me. From being a player experiencing the field, it’s the best aspect of officiating if I had a choice.”

Though she certainly has pause. Every rule has an exception.

“In January, not having to deal with the elements, it’s kind of nice being in the booth.”

You can follow Desiree Abrams on Instagram .

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A visit to the Jackie Robinson Museum illuminates his courage in creating the template for athlete activists

Robinson set the template for all socially conscious athletes--including LGBTQ icons. Plus: a request for uniform changes and Thirst Trap of the Week.

California says surf competition must allow trans woman Sasha Jane Lowerson to compete in the female category

Sasha Jane Lowerson is again making waves in surfing, this time getting a spot in a women's surfing event after being rejected.

WNBA ‘will expand to Toronto in 2026’ as city continues to attract women’s sports investment

Nearly 20,000 fans turned out for a WNBA preseason game in Toronto last year. Now reports state the Canadian city is getting a franchise.

Gay swimmer, bi surfer latest LGBTQ athletes to qualify for Paris Olympics

Nick Albiero of Brazil and Tyler Wright of Australia have qualified for the Paris Olympics as Team LGBTQ takes shape.

With charter flights, WNBA tells the sports world it’s taking its game to the next level

With Caitlin Clark already helping reach milestones, the WNBA uses charter flights to tell its players that it's 'go time.'

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MLS NEXT Pro Assignments: Week 10

The assignments for Week 10 of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season:

Columbus Crew 2 vs Orlando City B Lower.com Field (12PM ET) REF: Stephen Foster AR1: Sharon Gingrich AR2: Jake Brochu 4TH: Noah Matos

Crown Legacy vs Chattanooga Sportsplex at Matthews (7:30PM ET) REF: Arnel Selman AR1: Ben Rigel AR2: Logan Reeves 4TH: John Matto

NYCFC II vs TFC II Belson Soccer Stadium (8:15PM ET) REF: JC Griggs AR1: Tom Felice AR2: Jessica Carnevale 4TH: Kenneth Rojas

Austin FC II vs Sporting KC II Parmer Field (9PM ET) REF: Sergii Demianchuk AR1: Melissa Beck AR2: Jay Norris 4TH: Edgar Garcia

Huntsville City vs Atlanta United 2 Wicks Family Field (8PM ET) REF: Aleksandar Zhelyazkov AR1: Stephen Milhoan AR2: Sarah Gaddes 4TH: Donovan Eubank

North Texas vs Timbers 2 Choctaw Stadium (8:30PM ET) REF: Mario Maric AR1: Joseph Jeffers AR2: Emily Gomez 4TH: Habeeb Hooshmand

Inter Miami II vs Carolina Core Chase Stadium (3PM ET) REF: Adam Kilpatrick AR1: Juan Pablo Casas AR2: Albert Escovar 4TH: Kyle Cividanes

MNUFC 2 vs Tacoma Defiance National Sports Center Stadium (3PM ET) REF: Elvis Osmanovic AR1: Eric Del Rosario Gandara AR2: Mateusz Dulski 4TH: Chris Ruska

New England Revolution II vs Philadelphia Union II Mark A. Ouellette Stadium (3PM ET) REF: Marie Durr AR1: Christian Little AR2: Bryan Conetta 4TH: Johnathan Luk

New York Red Bulls II vs FC Cincinnati 2 MSU Soccer Park (5PM ET) REF: Melinda Homa AR1: Justen Lopez AR2: Patrick Casey 4TH: Kenneth Rojas

Colorado Rapids 2 vs Vancouver Whitecaps 2 Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (8PM ET) REF: Alejo Calume AR1: Jarred Mosher AR2: Charles Rupert 4TH: Adam Rice

The Town FC vs Los Angeles FC 2 St Mary’s Stadium (8PM ET) REF: Brandon Stevis AR1: Hunter Zachwieja AR2: Mark Novosel 4TH: Michael Zapata

Ventura County vs Real Monarchs California Lutheran University (8PM ET) REF: Jamie Padilla AR1: Salvador Reyes AR2: Justin Fillmore 4TH: Osvaldo Delgado Landeros

• MLS Assignments: Week 14

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Tyler Guyton gets the ultimate rookie test playing against Myles Garrett in Week 1

Tyler Guyton couldn't have drawn a tougher first assignment in the NFL.

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The 2024 NFL schedule release is on Wednesday. However, as is always the case, leaks are starting to come out, and it was revealed on Monday that the Dallas Cowboys will travel to play the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. The Browns are coming off of a playoff season and have a talented roster, so it will be a challenging opening assignment for the Cowboys.

Speaking of assignments, rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton will have as challenging of a task as any offensive lineman in the league to start the season if he wins the left tackle starting job. He gets to bang in the trenches against edge rusher Myles Garret, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Every player has their welcome to the NFL moment, and this will be Guyton’s. Garrett is arguably the best pass rusher in the league, and he does it in several ways. He can beat opposing offensive lineman with power on a bull rush or his quick first step that allows him to bend around the edge quickly. Also, if Garrett's initial attack doesn't work, he has a pass-rush plan that gives him the ability to go to a second or even third move to get to the quarterback because of excellent use of his hands.

Per Pro Footbal Focus , Garrett hasn't had a pass-rush grade under 90.0 since 2018. Over the past three seasons, Garrett has 236 pressures, 149 hurries, and 37 quarterback hits. Simply put, he's a menace at disrupting the rhythm of quarterbacks even when he's not getting sacks. By the way, he's racked up 46 of them since 2020 (six consecutive double-digit sack seasons).

That's a lot to deal with, right?

Guyton will be responsible for protecting the blindside of quarterback Dak Prescott. Coming into the league, some of the knocks on Guyton were his hand placement and his pad levels being high at times. Going up against a guy like Garrett, who can win with power or speed off the line, it's going to be a huge challenge for Guyton. After all, if an offensive lineman can't get their hands on a defender or get their pad level low enough, especially in Guyton’s case being 6'8, they're chopped liver.

Guyton has a few things to lean on.

He has an 82.25-inch wingspan (nearly seven feet) and 10.25-inch hands. The former helps Guyton in terms of being able to recover if he gets beat off the edge initially in passing sets because his long arms will allow him to still be able to get hand on a defender to disrupt their path. As far as Guyton’s hands, although they need improvement, he can control guys with his grip, and when adding in his power, that makes him a force once he's locked in on a defender. None of that will be easy going up against Garrett.

Many will say Guyton got a bad draw with Garrett being his first battle in the NFL. However, what's better than going up against one of the best edge rushers in the game? All this can do is help Guyton and build his confidence while letting him learn from his mistakes. As long as he does enough to keep Dak Prescott upright for most of the game.

Next Up In NFL

• NFL schedule 2024: Tracking latest rumors for next season’s games
• After Jared Goff’s massive deal, who’s the next NFL QB to get a huge payday?
• Buffalo Bills set to face Dolphins Week 2 on ‘Thursday Night Football’
• Aaron Rodgers to test limits of modern medicine on ‘Monday Night Football’ vs. 49ers
• Tom Brady gets his first game assignment as a FOX Sports analyst
• There are no hometown discounts for quarterbacks

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What we learned during Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season

NFL Week 13: Live MNF coverage, schedule, odds and playoff standings

Week 13 kicked off with the Cowboys beating the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football ! Check in with The Athletic for all the latest NFL news, game previews, injury updates and analysis.

Helpful links

• Bengals def. Jaguars in OT on Monday Night Football
• Complete NFL Week 13 schedule | Updated playoff standings
• Latest odds and expert picks/projections

Need tickets? Here you can find the best deals to see your favorite NFL team.

Brock Purdy in midst of Joe Montana-like streak

The San Francisco 49ers scored touchdowns on six straight possessions, out-rushed the Philadelphia Eagles 146 to 46 and had no turnovers, yet they lost the time-of-possession battle 31:39 to 28:21.

How is that possible? Well, they only had the ball for a little more than two minutes in the wobbly first quarter. They also struck quickly on some of their touchdowns. For instance, their possession on their final score, Deebo Samuel’s 46-yard catch and run on a tunnel screen, lasted two plays and 14 seconds.

The offense logged 59 snaps while the defense had 72, though most starters were on the sideline for the last five minutes of the game. Here’s how the individual snaps were divided.

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NFL officials face impossible task — we or league must make change

We shouldn’t have been talking about NFL officiating Sunday night and Monday morning.

We could have devoted our energies to discussing Packers quarterback Jordan Love’s apparent coming of age in the 27-19 upset of Patrick Mahomes and the world-champion Chiefs. We could have been talking about Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur’s masterful engineering of a season turnaround that has his 6-6 Packers squarely in the playoff hunt.

Instead, these were the emotions late Sunday night in the initial moments following the Packers’ win: confounded, befuddled and, at the same time, not at all surprised that the game officials had once again made themselves a major part of the story.

The multiple officiating blunders of the final minutes of the contest continued to dominate conversation Monday morning on the usual recap television, radio shows and podcasts. The hand-wringing spilled over into our group texts.

Sunday night represented what seems like a weekly reminder that the NFL, in this modern age, continues to have a flawed officiating system. And after it’s now painstakingly clear one of two things must happen.

Vikings mailbag: QB decision, Kevin O’Connell’s draft priorities and more

Welcome back, folks. The bye week is over. The Minnesota Vikings, sitting at 6-6, will now embark on what figures to be a roller-coaster ride in the back half of the season.

Five games remain. Questions abound. Many of you were curious about who head coach Kevin O’Connell will start at quarterback this week and how the first 12 weeks of the season would shape the franchise’s offseason decisions.

Let’s get to the answers.

Is a WR over a QB the right call for Giants in first round of 2024 NFL Draft?

It may only be early December, but many New York Giants fans have already begun daydreaming about the player their team might pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Despite back-to-back wins entering their Week 13 bye, a top-10 pick remains a more realistic outcome for the Giants than a playoff berth. According to the projection model created by The Athletic’s Austin Mock, New York’s playoff odds currently stand at 0.4 percent.

So, with the postseason likely out of reach, we’ll turn our attention — in this story, at least — to the draft, with The Athletic ’s draft analyst, Dane Brugler, releasing his first mock draft of the season . In Brugler’s mock, the Giants selected LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick. Following Sunday’s slate of games, the Giants actually now own the No. 7 pick, but their positioning will continue to fluctuate throughout their remaining five games. We’ll simply use Brugler’s mock as a starting point as the draft conversation continues to heat up. So let’s break it down:

Lions C Frank Ragnow, DT Alim McNeill statuses uncertain for Week 14 matchup with Bears

USA Today Sports

The Lions could be missing some key pieces this week when they take on the Chicago Bears. Center Frank Ragnow, a Pro Bowler last year, suffered a knee injury and was ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game vs. the Saints. Campbell said the team received "good news" on Ragnow's injury, but it could still keep him out of action this week.

Third-year defensive tackle Alim McNeill, one of the better defensive tackles in the league this season, could also miss Sunday's game. He appeared to bump knees with Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson Sunday vs. the Saints and briefly left the game. McNeill downplayed his injury in the locker room after the game but Campbell's comments suggest lingering concern. The good news is it sounds like there's a chance the Lions could get starting LB Alex Anzalone back this week. He missed Sunday's game with a hand injury. We'll monitor their practice workload this week

Bears focused 'finishing' ahead of rematch with Lions

The Bears returned from their bye ahead of a rematch with the Lions, and that loss was probably top of mind when Matt Eberflus was asked about the goal over the final five games.

“You talk about finishing. It starts with the first game. You got to really finish,” he said. “I was proud of the way the guys finished the last game. That’s in the past. Now you got to look forward. To me, that’s what it’s about. The NFL is about finishing in the two-minute, four-minute process in the end of the halves, end of the games. We’re certainly looking to improve on that.”

A few more things we heard at Halas Hall on Monday…

• Eberflus said the team is healthy, including cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who missed last Monday’s game against the Vikings with an ankle injury. Eberflus said they feel good about where Stevenson is at, and that we could still see a rotation between Stevenson and fellow rookie corner Terell Smith.
• The Bears are on pace to exceed last year’s penalty count by a wide margin. Eberflus isn’t too concerned about some of the defensive holding or pass interference penalties, ones that are a little more subjective, but he said he wants to see improvement with pre-snap flags. The Bears have 20 false start penalties — they had 18 last year.
• Tight end Cole Kmet talked about the reality of the NFL, and how the Bears are just a couple blown leads away from being in the playoff conversation. That also shapes the way he views the final five weeks. “At the end of the day, you’re still kinda in it even though it’s been not a great start to start the season out here,” he said. “You got five games to finish this thing off. And we’ll see where it lays, if we can get to 9-8 here.”

Colts are ‘fired up’ to have starting NT Grover Stewart return from PED suspension

The Colts outlasted the Titans in overtime Sunday for their fourth straight win as they continue their remarkable climb into playoff contention. Indianapolis is 7-5 despite multiple starters being sidelined for extended periods of time this season, most notably rookie QB Anthony Richardson, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. However, the team received a big reinforcement Monday with the return of Grover Stewart.

The Colts’ starting nose tackle was cleared to rejoin the team’s active roster after completing a six-game PEDs suspension. Indianapolis went 4-2 in Stewart’s absence, but it was very evident how much the team’s run defense suffered. The Colts’ opponents averaged 3.7 yards per carry and 113.5 yards per game from Weeks 1-6 with Stewart in the lineup. Those numbers increased to 4.7 yards per carry and 153 yards per game from Weeks 7-13 while he was out.

Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said it’s “huge” to get Stewart back and that could be interpreted figuratively and literally, considering Stewart stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 314 pounds. The seven-year pro has 20 tackles, two tackles for loss and five QB hits in six games this season. He’ll appear in his seventh game this upcoming Sunday at Cincinnati as the Colts try to extend their winning streak to five.

“He’s obviously a pro, so he’ll be in shape,” Steichen said of Stewart's conditioning. “He’ll be ready to go this week, so we’re fired up to have him back.”

Eagles-Cowboys week is here and everything is on the table in huge NFC East rematch

The team that has been the biggest source of demons for the Dallas Cowboys flung the door open for them Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Philadelphia Eagles 42-19 Sunday evening, setting the table for a mad dash to the finish in the NFC.

Before the Cowboys can think about the conference, they have to worry about winning the division. As Eagles week begins, the NFC East is now legitimately in play.

Since the two teams squared off in Philadelphia, the Cowboys and Eagles had schedules on opposite ends of the spectrum. The Cowboys cruised for three weeks, beating bottom-of-the-barrel opponents, topping it off with a quality win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday. As much as the Cowboys have talked about “running our own race,” they would have appreciated some help from Eagles’ opponents during a brutal stretch in which the Eagles eked out wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills before getting blown out by the 49ers.

Read more here.

Joe Flacco proves to be Browns’ best option at QB, even in losing effort to Rams

One bad throw turned into an interception that went a long way toward sinking the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Joe Flacco still has a big arm, and maybe he trusted it too much there — especially because it was the first play of a new series in a one-point game with just under seven minutes remaining.

But Flacco, playing on a practice squad elevation just 13 days after the Browns pried him from his New Jersey home, also turned that trust in his arm into some hits Sunday. Mostly, he played with the poise and presence you’d expect — stuff the Browns needed — from a 16-year veteran, and it was immediately clear that Flacco had both kept himself ready for this opportunity and done what had been necessary in the six real days of prep he had for this game.

The Browns are teetering. After winning three straight in November, they head home Sunday night losers of two straight. A game that felt like anybody’s at the start of the fourth quarter, and even much of the way through it, ended in a 36-19 Los Angeles Rams victory. The Browns drop to 7-5 and find themselves in a very Southern California-style traffic jam of teams trying to claim one of the AFC’s three wild-card spots.

A lot of what the Browns put out there Sunday reaffirms that the playoffs are no guarantee. They are still sloppy, penalty-prone and heavily reliant on an attack-style defense that keeps getting cooked by misdirection. But with any thought of living in an ideal offensive world long gone, Flacco showed he could at least get the Browns to the postseason. He’s played in these games and been in these playoff pushes before. He’s a little grayer now, but he can still fling it.

Titans fire special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announces he has fired special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, a day after two punt blocks contributed to the Titans' 31-28 overtime loss to the Colts, the second of which resulted in Ryan Stonehouse suffering a season-ending knee injury that requires surgery. Special teams assistant Tom Quinn will take over. This is the first time Vrabel has fired an assistant coach during a season.

Vrabel added that running back Derrick Henry has no symptoms today and is not in concussion protocol and DT Jeffery Simmons will be "out a couple weeks" after Simmons left Sunday's loss to the Colts with a knee injury.

Kenny Pickett’s injury adds another concern for an offense searching for answers

Kenny Pickett writhed in pain on the turf at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday.

On third-and-goal late in the second quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback took off running. As he extended the football toward the end zone, Pickett’s foot got trapped under an Arizona Cardinals defender, injuring his ankle and forcing him out of the game for the fifth time in his 24-game tenure as a starting QB.

Enter Mitch Trubisky. The backup quarterback was inserted into the game just in time to hand the ball to Najee Harris for a failed fourth-and-goal attempt from the 1.

That sequence summed up a day full of injury and insult, as the Steelers’ offense failed to produce a touchdown until garbage time in a 24-10 letdown to a previously two-win Arizona team in rebuilding mode.

Ravens return to work with comfortable AFC North lead as race for No. 1 seed tightensw

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh had already knelt with his players in prayer following their 20-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. He gave out some game balls and recognized individual accomplishments. He raised the volume in an already celebratory visiting locker room at SoFi Stadium by telling the players they had the full bye week off.

But Harbaugh had one more thing to say before veteran defensive tackle Broderick Washington broke down the postgame huddle. Harbaugh’s words fell somewhere between a request and a demand. They could have been interpreted as a vow, too.

“We come back Monday,” Harbaugh said, “we come back roaring.”

To a man, the Ravens said their Week 13 bye came at a perfect time. After playing for 12 consecutive weeks, they were banged up. After back-to-back prime-time games, two West Coast trips and a weeklong stay in London, they were tired, too.

At 6-6 with a playoff shot, Rams’ greater victory is finding their grit

A year ago at this time, the Los Angeles Rams were imploding. Their quarterback, Matthew Stafford, was broken. So was their top receiver, Cooper Kupp. Their star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, had just gutted through an ankle injury in a game at Kansas City and then was shut down for the season. The middle class of their roster had disappeared. Their offensive line had crumbled, also in large part to injury but they didn’t have enough talent up there overall, either.

Their coach, Sean McVay, was at rock bottom.

I am thinking about that time a lot this week. How lost McVay seemed after the Week 12, 2022, game in which he gave up play calling and stood, reeling, in the cement bowels of the Chiefs’ stadium unsure where to go next. How steep and dreadful the crash from the mountaintop of the previous season was. How quiet the locker room was. How hurt everybody was, and the mental toll it took on them. How the end of everything, including the McVay era, was coming. It had to be.

And then, it didn’t.

Sunday, the Rams beat the Cleveland Browns 36-19. They have won three games in a row, are 6-6 and have a real shot at the playoffs.

A game like this, against a physical and well-coached defense that has been at the top of league statistics for much of the season, was the product of a million steps before it ever kicked off.

Steps that began when the head coach decided not to quit in his worst moments.

A couple of positives for Panthers after coaching change, but result remains the same

After the rain stopped dumping on Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, the slightest glimmer of sunshine appeared for the Carolina Panthers: an offensive touchdown and a lead against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It was gone 10 seconds later.

That’s how long it took for former Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield to find perennial Panthers killer Mike Evans on a 75-yard touchdown late in the third quarter. Just like that, the Panthers lost the lead, Brian Burns lost his cool and Carolina was on its way to its 11th loss in 12 games — a 21-18 decision in the first game of the post-Frank Reich era, such as it was.

Bad teams find ways to lose. Tampa Bay (5-7) is not a particularly good team. The Panthers are the NFL’s worst. And while interim coach Chris Tabor wanted players to stay loose and have fun over the final six games, there’s been nothing fun about the 2023 Panthers.

Gardner Minshew has his warts, but Colts have a tenacious QB they ‘love to rally behind’

Gardner Minshew dropped back to pass, surveyed the field and stepped up in the pocket. The Indianapolis Colts trailed the Tennessee Titans by seven points on Sunday with just under two minutes left in the second quarter, and Indianapolis’ quarterback was trying to make something happen from Tennessee’s 5-yard line.

But after Minshew evaded the first wave of pressure, he didn’t anticipate the second. As he continued looking toward the end zone, he was strip-sacked from behind by former Colts defensive end Denico Autry, and cornerback Elijah Molden recovered the fumble.

No throw. No touchdown. No points.

As Minshew walked to the sideline, linebacker Zaire Franklin slapped hands with him, tight end Will Mallory tapped him on the helmet and even rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson — still wearing a sling due to season-ending right shoulder surgery — reached out with his left arm and gave Minshew a fist bump. The typically stoic Minshew sat on a cooler, flipped his hair back and took a deep breath.

Then, for a brief moment, he let his frustration out. Minshew balled his right hand into a fist and pounded it into his left hand. He knew that was a pivotal play in the game, but he also knew he had to forget it.

“Playing quarterback in this league at easy,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen said of Minshew. “You’re going to have good plays. You’re going to have bad plays. But when you do have bad plays, you come to the sideline and keep marching on.”

There was a lot of time left, including an eventual overtime period, and by the end, Minshew would unleash an entirely different emotion following a 31-28 victory: joy. The backup QB danced around the locker room as his teammates hyped up their leader who, regardless of some tough moments, refuses to quit and continues to find a way to lead the team to wins.

Lions’ Sam LaPorta is setting NFL rookie tight end records, but he has bigger goals

He won’t allow himself to go there. Not right now, at least. There’s too much at stake, too much to play for, too much that can knock him off his trajectory if he begins to look ahead or make this about himself. Not that he would anyway.

But Detroit Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta is aware of the year he’s having, playing in this league, playing this position, this quickly. After a nine-catch, 140-yard outing — propelling the Lions to a 33-28 win over the New Orleans Saints — it’s hard not to be.

Even then …

“After the season,” LaPorta said, when asked when he’ll begin to appreciate what he’s doing. “You don’t wanna get caught up in all that. It just kinda muddies your vision, clouds your vision for the team and the success that we hope to have moving forward.”

If the Lions — now 9-3, with a three-game lead in the NFC North — are to have that success he hopes is coming, LaPorta is going to be directly involved. That sounds like a given now, but it wasn’t always so. Think about where he came from. Once ranked as the nation’s 1,170th-best prospect and the No. 55 tight end in his high school class, LaPorta’s 247Sports profile pic shows an unassuming teenager with curly hair, pimples and little facial hair to show for. Who would’ve thought a three-star prospect out of Highland, Ill., would develop into one of the best in the world at what he does?

NFL playoff picture: Can 49ers surge past Eagles to snag No. 1 seed in NFC?

After the San Francisco 49ers took down the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, it became official: the top seeds in both the NFC and the AFC are still up for grabs. Week 13 saw plenty of movement in the NFL playoff picture, and there is still plenty of time for it to change.

Let’s take a look at where things stand with one game left to go in Week 13.

Steelers’ ‘horrible’ performance exposes biggest problem — mental weakness

We all know how the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the two-win Arizona Cardinals, one of the NFL’s worst teams, on Sunday: sloppy pre-snap penalties, turnovers, bad snaps, a missed field goal, injuries, red zone woes, lack of offense, poor defense, etc.

That’s how all teams lose, so who cares about the how? We all should be more intrigued with the why … as in why did the Steelers once again play their worst football of the season against a team that, frankly, stinks?

I am not interested in Mason Cole saying that the Cardinals are a “good football team” regardless of what their record says.

No, Mason, they stink … stank … stunk.

Tight end Zach Ertz wanted out so badly that he asked to be cut earlier in the week, and the Cardinals immediately obliged. I dare you to name more than one player on their defense. Hell, I dare you to tell me who their head coach is, and as a bonus, where did he coach last year?

You don’t know. Not many do, so don’t feel too bad about it.

That’s what makes Sunday’s 24-10 whipping by the Cardinals — likely one of the three worst home losses of Mike Tomlin’s tenure (along with Tampa Bay in 2014 and Oakland in 2009) — so troublesome.

Ron Rivera’s fate has long been sealed, but don’t expect his firing just yet

Ron Rivera understood the score before the season began.

New ownership officially purchased the Washington Commanders one day before the 2023 training camp commenced in late July. The group, led by managing partner Josh Harris, had zero time to affect any football decisions. They would the following offseason.

Unless the team, at a minimum, achieved its first winning season since 2016, Rivera’s four-year tenure as head coach and front-office lead would end, and new football people would take over. If that’s how the scenario unfolded, Rivera wanted it known he had left the situation better than how he found it.

“If we go 8-8-1 this year and (Harris) fires me, and next year they win the division and 40 of the 53 players we drafted and it’s the same quarterback, I’m vindicated,” Rivera told ESPN in August. “Send me my Super Bowl ring.”

Four months later, including nine losses in 13 regular-season games, don’t expect the next brain trust to send Rivera a thank-you card. The roster’s improvement, sincere at times over the past four years, has faded. This team doesn’t need a retool or a refresh, but a rebuild. The final four contests won’t change that assessment, whether Rivera stays through Week 18 or not.

Assignments

2024 UFL season Assignments

Assignments Super Bowl LVIII

2023 Conference Championships Assignments

Week 18 referee assignments

Referee assignments and playoff seeding possibilities for the final week of the 2021 NFL season.

Clete Blakeman will be the referee for Game 272 — the Sunday night game between the Chargers and the Raiders: the AFC West showdown which will determine who makes the AFC playoffs as a wild card team, and who will be watching the postseason from home. Carl Cheffers is off this week.

This post will be updated as the remainder of the Week 17 games are played.

In this final week of the regular season, two games will be played on Saturday, and the remaining games will be played on Sunday. Times listed are Eastern.

The matchups are listed below based on their impact on the playoff picture. Potential (or clinched) playoff seeds are shown in superscripted numbers, with zeroes indicating teams that have not clinched a playoff spot. All seeding possibilities exclude clinching scenarios that involve strength of victory and/or ties, unless a tie is the only result needed to clinch, or unless specifically stated otherwise.

Scheduled assignments are subject to change.

Update: The potential seedings and their impact on the playoff picture have been updated to reflect the Packers’ win over the Vikings on Sunday night, and the Steelers’ win over the Browns on Monday night.

Saturday, Jan. 8

Games with #1 seed implications.

• Chiefs 1/2/3/4 at Broncos (4:30 p.m.) ABC ESPN — Brad Rogers

Games with seeding order implications

• Cowboys 2/3/4 at Eagles 6/7 (8:15 p.m.) ABC ESPN — Ron Torbert

Sunday, Jan. 9

Games involved for the division title.

• Patriots 1/2/3/5/6/7 at Dolphins — Alex Kemp
• Jets at Bills 2/3/4/5/6/7 — John Hussey
• 49ers 6/7/0 at Rams 2/3/4/5 — Jerome Boger
• Seahawks at Cardinals 2/3/5 — Shawn Smith

Games to clinch a playoff berth

• Colts 5/6/7/0 at Jaguars — Clay Martin
• Saints 7/0 at Falcons — Craig Wrolstad
• Steelers 7/0 at Ravens 7/0 — Shawn Hochuli
• Chargers 6/7/0 at Raiders 5/6/7/0 (8:25 p.m.) NBC — Clete Blakeman
• Titans 1/2/3/4 at Texans — Land Clark
• Bengals 1/2/3/4 at Browns — Bill Vinovich
• Panthers at Buccaneers 2/3/4 — Tony Corrente

No playoff implications

• Packers 1 at Lions — Scott Novak
• WAS Football Team at Giants — Adrian Hill
• Bears at Vikings — Brad Allen

End of regular season

Boger, Allen, Wrolstad, Kemp, Smith, and Martin are Wild Card referees

Week 17 referee assignments

Cam Filipe is a forensic scientist from Massachusetts and has been involved in football officiating for 11 years. Cam is in his third season as a high school football official. This is his eighth season covering NFL officiating for Football Zebras.

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Bills hire John Parry as an officiating specialist

John Parry leaves ESPN

UFL Week 7 officiating assignments

Ramon George is the new NFL head of officiating, Mark Butterworth is VP of replay

New TV program gives outstanding information about NFL officials

Ufl week 6 officiating assignments.

40 years ago, the USFL had officials the NFL recruited and those cast aside as too old

Ufl week 5 officiating assignments.

Trailblazing official Maia Chaka is out of the NFL

Officiating shakeup continues as VP of replay is out after only 1 season

Former NFL side judge and Cedar Rapids civic leader Bill Quinby dies at 92

Former NFL deep official Ron Spitler, involved in controversial 2003 layoff reversal, dies at 86

Jaire Alexander suspended one game by Packers for not knowing coin flip rules

2023-24 bowl officiating assignments

Week 12 referee assignments

Week 11 referee assignments

Week 15 referee assignments

Week 16 referee assignments

Rules School: Officiating mechanics at the end of the half

How could a false start be so wrong? What if it wasn’t wrong?

Smith and Blakeman are Conference Championship referees

Week 9 referee assignments

Week 14 referee assignments

Rules review video: Touching the pylon, ball carrier down, and targeting with the lights out

Rules review video: Unconventional handoffs, unnecessary roughness, and roughing the passer

Rules review video: Scrimmage kick advancement, targeting, and blocking below the waist

Rules review video: Kick catch interference, invalid fair catch signal, and penalty enforcements

Rules review video: Roughing the kicker, forced touching, and kick catch interference

Rules review video: Targeting, replay tools, and an experiment with the kickoff line

Rules review video: Illegal forward pass, illegal touching, and simulated kneeldowns

Rules review video: Defensive pass interference, coaches on the field, and defense re-establishing in bounds

Rules review video: Safeties, replay calling penalties, and kicks over the uprights

‘Exceptional situational awareness’ highlights the Call of the Week

Rules review video: Intentional grounding, targeting, and horse-collar tackles