After Packers-Lions criticism, NFL referee crew pulled from Eagles-Commanders game
Crew reassigned Thursday
Alex Moore’s crew had been scheduled to referee Sunday’s meeting between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders. Football Zebras reported that the crew was removed from that assignment on Thursday and shifted to the New England Patriots-Miami Dolphins game.
Shawn Hochuli’s crew, originally set for Patriots-Dolphins, will instead handle the Sunday night matchup. The article describes the change as rare but not without precedent.
Calls drew scrutiny in Week 7
Moore and his officials had worked the previous Sunday’s Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game. Their performance attracted widespread criticism after several questionable penalties went against Green Bay. Detroit won 20-17. The article links the reassignment to the scrutiny surrounding the crew’s work in that game.
Reason remains an inference
The league did not publicly explain the shift in the article. It says the move was almost certainly deliberate, suggesting officials may have wanted to avoid making Moore’s crew a topic during a primetime broadcast.
The crew’s new Patriots-Dolphins assignment is described as less visible than the Eagles-Commanders game. The reporting presents that explanation as a presumption, not a stated league rationale.
Key points
- Alex Moore’s crew was moved from Eagles-Commanders to Patriots-Dolphins.
- The crew faced criticism for calls in Green Bay’s 20-17 loss to Detroit.
- Shawn Hochuli’s crew will officiate the Sunday night game.
- The article says such reassignments are rare, but not unprecedented.