The NFL has assigned a controversial referee for the Wild Card playoff game between the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills this week.
Bill Vinovich and his crew will serve as the officials for the Broncos-Bills game in Buffalo. Vinovich has been the referee in a Super Bowl, but he is best-known for a no-call that knocked Sean Payton out of the 2018 NFL playoffs.
In the 2018 NFC championship game, Vinovich’s crew missed a blatant pass interference foul that helped the Los Angeles Rams defeat the New Orleans Saints, who were coached by Payton at the time. The NFL has not given Vinovich any games in New Orleans since that no-call.
Interestingly, Vinovich was also the official for the Broncos-Bills game on Monday Night Football last season. After Buffalo was penalized for having too many men on the field, Denver kicker Wil Lutz got a second chance for a game-winning field goal and converted in a 24-22 victory on the road.
The Broncos benefited from Vinovich’s officiating against the Bills last year, but they are 5-10 all-time with him as the ref, as Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com pointed out on Twitter/X. One of those 10 losses was Denver’s heartbreaking playoff defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in 2013.
Bill Vinovich was the referee for Broncos-Bills in 2023, which saw a flag for too many men on the field that gave Wil Lutz a second chance at a game-winning FG.
Denver is 5-10 all-time in games officiated by Vinovich, including the Jan. 2013 divisional-round loss to Baltimore. https://t.co/DpcmxZ8avh
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 6, 2025
The Broncos have surrendered the 10th-most penalty yards (941) in the NFL this season, so the Vinovich assignment is a positive from that perspective. Vinovich’s crew has thrown the second-fewest penalty markers this season (207), only trailing the John Hussey crew (201).
Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on CBS. Denver is considered a big underdog against Buffalo.
