The NFL is not hiding referee Brad Allen for Week 18 following a series of highly scrutinized calls in recent primetime games.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday that Allen’s crew is assigned to Saturday afternoon’s Steelers vs. Ravens game in Baltimore.
It is a standalone game that will air on ABC and ESPN.
As far as playoff implications, the Ravens have already clinched the top seed in the AFC while the Steelers could make the postseason with a win, plus a loss by either the Bills or Jaguars, or in the remote chance the Texans and Colts tie.
Allen’s crew made two high-profile mistakes late in the Lions-Cowboys game last week.
The one that received the most scrutiny was when the Lions attempted a two-point conversion in the hopes of winning in regulation after scoring a touchdown to make it 20-19.
NFL referee Brad Allen’s crew has been assigned to the Ravens-Steelers national TV game on Saturday after a series of controversial calls in recent primetime games. Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesDecker caught what would have been the game-winning two-point conversion, but was flagged for not having reported.
What seems to have happened is that the Lions had multiple linemen near the referee in an attempt to confuse the Cowboys about which one would be eligible, and then the officials were the ones who got mixed up.
After all of the uproar about this call, it emerged that the Lions benefitted from a wrong call of their own on the Cowboys’ possession.
Dallas tight end Peyton Hendershot was hit with a personal foul penalty for tripping on a play where Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson appeared to attempt to trip Cowboys running back Tony Pollard.
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68) catches a two point conversion that was overturned by a penalty during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConLast month, on “Sunday Night Football” when the Packers hosted the Chiefs at Lambeau Field, Allen’s crew flagged Packers defensive back Jonathan Owens for a late hit on Patrick Mahomes that was actually initiated inbounds, and then neglected to flag Packers defensive back Carrington Valentine for blatant pass interference on Chiefs wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling later in the same drive.
The decision seems curious given Schefter previously reported that a “large part” of Allen’s crew is going to be demoted for the playoffs.
“They’re going to get downgraded, and the chances are that many of them are not going to be involved in the postseason,” Schefter said on Sunday.
