2023 Predictions

[Jason_R]

Yes, it was reported but I don’t think it was “announced” by the league. The league put out that farce of an explanatory video. 

[Sports_Freak]

1 minute ago, Jason_R said:

Yes, it was reported but I don’t think it was “announced” by the league. The league put out that farce of an explanatory video. 

There's numerous sources that say the same thing....Brad Allen and his crew downgraded and won't be working playoffs. Really, they don't need him or his crew, there's plenty of officials for the limited playoff games.

[MichiganCardinal]

29 minutes ago, Sports_Freak said:

There's numerous sources that say the same thing....Brad Allen and his crew downgraded and won't be working playoffs. Really, they don't need him or his crew, there's plenty of officials for the limited playoff games.

Downgraded doesn’t really mean one thing in the NFL though. They rate their officials on every play. If they rated him poorly on that play, they could say they downgraded him (on that play). Just like any other play where an official makes a comparatively inconsequential mistake.

I will say I doubt he makes an appearance in any of the three yet-to-be-announced games, but I think it’s more about face for the NFL than anything. They wouldn’t want the “Controversial Referee Brad Allen Assigned to Conference Championship Game” headline when it’s announced. I really don’t think they think he did anything egregiously wrong. 

[Jason_R]

8 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

There's numerous sources that say the same thing....Brad Allen and his crew downgraded and won't be working playoffs. Really, they don't need him or his crew, there's plenty of officials for the limited playoff games.

Yes, numerous sources “reported” the same thing. These reports were probably all repeats of one initial report. But the NFL never “announced” anything. 

I suspect they know he did something egregiously wrong, which is why they went to such great lengths with that ridiculous video to fix it. If it was just an ordinary blown call they would have left it alone. 

[RandyMarsh]

On top of that horrendous call against us there was another horrendous call the drive before against the Cowboys. They called tripping on the Cowboys lineman that was blocking Hutchinson but replays shows that it was actually Hutchinson that did the tripping. So Allen and the crew had multiple horrible calls in crucial spots in that game. 

[1984Echoes]

1 hour ago, RandyMarsh said:

On top of that horrendous call against us there was another horrendous call the drive before against the Cowboys. They called tripping on the Cowboys lineman that was blocking Hutchinson but replays shows that it was actually Hutchinson that did the tripping. So Allen and the crew had multiple horrible calls in crucial spots in that game. 

And blew several infamous calls in games PRIOR to the Lions-Cowboys...

It's extremely reasonable to believe that, even if the NFL did not officially announce, that he and his team have been downgraded to not appearing in a playoff game... unless it's some emergency (replace a sick or injured official).