The Buffalo Bills will take on the Atlanta Falcons in a rare matchup between two teams from opposite conferences. While the Falcons are trying to come out strong from the bye week after a Week 4 victory over the Washington Commanders, the situation is far more grim for the Bills. Losing its first game of the season to the New England Patriots, Buffalo will try to steady its ship against Atlanta.
The biggest point of contention for them is going to be the defense. Even though it has shown improvement in recent weeks, there isn’t a large gap between the two teams on that side of the football, with the Falcons having a 76.8 grade on PFSN’s Defense Impact, compared to 77.8 for the Bills. Today, though, we are taking a deep dive into the officials who will try to make sure that a fair game is played between the two squads.
Who are the Referee Assignments for the Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons on MNF?
Refereeing is always a sensitive topic among NFL fan bases. Due to the speed and physicality of the game, an official cannot be 100% accurate throughout the game.
Add in some controversial calls, and the situation comes into the limelight seemingly every week. For a game as high-profile as a Monday Night Football clash, the league hopes to avoid or minimize controversy as much as possible.
Thanks to his popularity and the success of the Bills, Josh Allen has been among the most scrutinized players in all of football. As a result, the game is sure to draw some extra attention on the officiating front.
Understandably, the NFL went with Shawn Smith’s experience. Smith is entering his eighth season as a referee in the league. Before his tenure as a referee began, Smith held the umpire spot for three seasons.
When he was promoted to referee for the 2018 season, he became just the sixth African American to hold the position. Here is the full list of officials on Smith’s crew:
- Umpire: Tra Blake
- Down Judge: Jay Bilbo
- Line Judge: Jeff Seeman
- Field Judge: Dyrol Prioleau
- Side Judge: Boris Cheek
- Back Judge: Dino Paganelli
- Replay Official: Mike Wimmer
- Replay Assistant: Larry Hill Jr.
Last year, Smith’s crew was among the more conservative units when it came to penalties. They averaged 12.98 penalties per game for 101.74 penalty yards, slightly below the league average of 12.80 penalties and 103.67 penalty yards per game.
