Referee Report: Bengals Look To Snap Losing Streak with White Hat They Know Well

Brad Allen and the Cincinnati Bengals are really starting to get to know each other.

Allen will be the head referee for Sunday’s Ring of Honor game against the Tennessee Titans, marking his fifth Bengals assignment since the Week 3 Monday night game against the Washington Commanders in 2024.

That’s five assignments in a span of 39 games. That’s the most of any referee in the league.

The Bengals have lost all four of the previous games and are 4-7 overall with Allen, who is one of the rare NFL officials who began his career as a head referee, joining the league in 2014 after working for the ACC.

The most recent Cincinnati game Allen worked was the 24-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15 last year. The other losses on the current skid were last year at Green Bay, 2024 at the Los Angeles Chargers and the Washington game earlier that season.

Sunday's Bengals Referee Brad Allen Received Playoff Ban in 2024

Vontaze Burfict and Brad Allen — Jun 12, 2018; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict (55) talks with referee Brad Allen (122) during minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Allen and his crew are averaging 15.17 accepted penalties per game, which ranks fifth most in the league.

Last year, Allen ranked last in the league with just 10.13 accepted penalties per game. And in 2024 he was 11th (12.18).

His 3.83 offensive holding penalties per game are fifth most in the league, and his 1.17 unnecessary roughness flags rank second.

Allen and his crew were banned from the playoffs in 2023 after the infamous “failed to report” incident with the offensive linemen in the Dallas-Detroit game.

In the crew’s return to the playoffs in 2024 in a game between the Packers and Eagles, Allen and his crew made another controversial call, ruling that a fumble that appeared to be recovered by Green Bay kick returner Keisean Nixon was recovered by the Eagles.

They stuck with the call even after the review showed the ball had definitively been recovered by Nixon.

There were some calls for another ban last season, but Allen and his crew worked the AFC Wild Card game between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Allen has earned seven postseason assignments in his 12 seasons. All have been Wild-Card round games except for 2017 when he called a Divisional game between the Steelers and Jaguars.

Here is the full rundown of Bengals game Allen has worked:

Week 3, 2014: Bengals 33, Titans 7

Bengals 7-50; Titans 11-99

Week 1, 2015: Bengals 33, Raiders 13

Bengals 5-32; Raiders 6-50

Week 9, 2017: Jaguars 23, Bengals 7

Bengals 8-77; Jaguars 5-50

Week 16, 2019: Dolphins 38, Bengals 35 (OT)

Bengals 10-77; Dolphins 6-47

Week 4, 2021: Bengals 24, Jaguars 21

Bengals 6-38; Jaguars 2-20

Week 2, 2022: Cowboys 20, Bengals 17

Bengals 7-35; Cowboys 5-45

Week 11, 2022: Bengals 37, Steelers 30

Bengals 6-44; Steelers 8-70

Week 3, 2024: Commanders 38, Bengals 33

Bengals 5-16; Commanders 3-28

Week 11, 2024: Chargers 34, Bengals 27

Bengals 8-56; Chargers 5-50

Week 6, 2025: Packers 27, Bengals 18

Bengals 3-17; Packers 5-40

Week 15, 2025: Ravens 24, Bengals 0

Bengals 4-30; Ravens 2-10

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