Monday Night Football in Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season could have what looks like a game of the year contender, at least on paper. Two of the best teams in the NFL, let alone the NFC, will clash when the Detroit Lions take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With two of the most explosive offenses in the entire league, the game will offer plenty of fireworks, as the sole focus of the football world lands on them.
However, for a large section of the fan base, the attention will be on the refereeing and how the officiating crew does its job. While the topic has been controversial throughout the season, last week was a particularly cumbersome affair for the Lions. The conversation about it has continued throughout the week.
So, when they take the field against the Buccaneers, the NFL will try to avoid any further incidents.
Referees for Lions vs. Buccaneers
After an illegal formation penalty was assessed on a trick play designed to give Jared Goff a receiving touchdown, Detroit was never able to rebound against the Kansas City Chiefs. Losing 30-17, the team has been pretty vocal about the call.
From head coach Dan Campbell to safety Kerby Joseph, most of the personnel for the Lions haven’t taken the decision well. They repeatedly pointed to what they believed was an unfair intervention from the New York office to call the penalty.
With another primetime game, this time on Monday Night, the NFL will hope to avoid any such drama, especially with two offenses that both rank in the top-10 on PFSN’s Offense Impact. As a result, it isn’t taking any chances by appointing John Hussey and his crew for the job.
Hussey, in his 11th season as a referee, started his career as a line judge in 2002 before being elevated to the referee role in 2015 after Bill Leavy called it a career. Sporting the number 35, he has been involved in four championship games in both roles combined.
For the 2025 season, his crew includes:
- Umpire: Duane Jeydt
- Down Judge: Max Causey
- Line Judge: Carl Johnson
- Field Judge:Â Anthony Flemming
- Side Judge: Allen Baynes
- Back Judge:Â Matt Edwards
- Replay Official: Andrew Lambert
- Replay Assistant: Sebrina Brunson
Through five games, his crew has been among the most conservative across the NFL, recording just 65 penalties, the third-fewest mark in the league. Even on a per-game basis, they aren’t extremely prone to calling penalties, tied for the fourth-fewest.
