Before every NFL game, the officials are announced, and their records, such as how many flags they average per game, are readily available for all fans to view. It might seem like useless information, and for the most part, it is, but with how officiating has gone this season, even for the Patriots, it has become more popular amongst fans in predicting how a game might go.
That's what I did when looking ahead to the Patriots' Week 15 game, as looking into the information about John Hussey and his crew made me almost certain that the team would have the luxury of not "dealing with the league's biggest headache" for at least one week, particularly in the biggest game of their season.
John Hussey has been assigned as referee for Sunday's Patriots-Bills game.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 9, 2025
Hussey is No. 35 in your officiating program. In his 11th season as a referee (24th year overall in NFL).
His crew averages 12.9 penalties per game, tied for 7th fewest among the league's 17 crews.
Unfortunately, their inconsistent calls, many of which were questionable, to put it kindly, made sure Hussey and his crew were the third team on the field for much of the game, which I stated shouldn't happen in a game of this magnitude.
"Because the division is on the line on Sunday, on top of determining the Patriots' playoff seeding, it's crucial that the officials don't get too involved with the game, which too many crews have done this year."
There were several head-scratching calls and non-calls for both teams, and although it's not the reason for the Patriots' loss, it certainly contributed to it in some ways.
I made the mistake in assuming the referees wouldn't become a problem in the Patriots' Week 15 game
By the end of the game, the Patriots were penalized seven times for a loss of 65 yards, most of which came on third-and-long plays by the Bills' offense, allowing them to continue otherwise dead or stopped drives and eventually score.
I didn't help that the defense couldn't stop a nosebleed in the second half, allowing three touchdowns before the Patriots' offense was able to put up more points. They did an impressive job in the first half of limiting Josh Allen, only to fall apart and let them split the season rather than win the division on their dime.
The officials made sure to only make the situation worse, and unfortunately, it will continue to be a big talking point in discussions of this game over the next week.
I wish I hadn't felt confident that they wouldn't essentially become the third team in the game, and I also wish there was no reason to blame the referees for anything, because it's a lame way to deal with a deserved loss.
I am in no way excusing just how bad the Patriots were in the second half, especially the defense, and I won't defend their performance in any way. But it would be foolish to act like the officials didn't worsen the situation, with phantom calls that ultimately aided the Bills' offense.
It's made the loss sting more, but also serves as a lesson to me (and us all) not to assume anything about how an officiating crew will work in any game. They might look like a good one to have on hand, but that can quickly change in a way no fan wants to see.