One of the most annoying, yet frighteningly accurate, complaints from every NFL fan is the consistent poor officiating during NFL games. While some have more arguments to make than others, far too many teams have been on the receiving end of unfair penalties or non-calls in recent years, despite Commissioner Roger Goodell exclaiming that officiating has never been better.
It has been on full display again this season, and the Patriots have had a handful of games that were questionably called. They certainly don't help themselves when they make unacceptable mistakes, but flag-happy referees make that even more of an issue.
Given who has been assigned to call their game against the Bills on Sunday, there should be some relief that the officials won't make themselves the third team on the field, as others have in the past.
ESPN's Mike Reiss noted that John Hussey's crew is tied for the 7th fewest penalties called per game, which hopefully won't change this weekend when calling the Patriots' big matchup.
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.
It's a big headache they'll hope to avoid, especially since so much is on the line depending on the result of the game.
It looks like the Patriots might have a decent officiating crew on hand for their Week 15 game vs. the Bills
Although it's never good to blame the referees for a game that went the way it did, there are plenty of instances where that complaint would be valid. The Patriots have dealt with that in the past, and some disastrous calls this season have left a mark.
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.
It takes away from the competitive spirit of football and dominates headlines in the days after, particularly if a call or non-call ultimately determines the outcome.
With so much on the line this week, it would be beyond frustrating for the Patriots and their fans if the biggest takeaway from the game is the officials' presence, with the worst-case scenario being that they go into their Sunday Night Football matchup with the Ravens coming off a loss.