Referee Report: Bengals Looking for 1st Win with Sunday's White Hat

Sunday's referee led the league in penalties called in 2025

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Referee Alex Moore prepares to make a call during the second half of game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Bengals have never won a game worked by the referee who will be on the call Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fortunately for the Bengals, Alex Moore is the newest member of the white-hat fraternity, earning a promotion from umpire to referee in 2025.

He worked the Bengals’ 28-3 Monday Night Football loss against the Denver Broncos in Week 4 last year.

Moore and his crew rank fourth in the league with 16 accepted penalties per game.

That’s just a tick below his 2025 average of 16.13, which led the league by a wide margin, nearly two more penalties per game than Adrian Hill’s average of 14.27.

Alex Moore Had 2nd Most Penalty-Filled Season Since 2013

Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; NFL referee Alex Moore during the Arizona Cardinals game against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since 2013, Moore’s 16.13 mark was the second most by any crew, trailing only the 16.93 Shawn Hochuli and company posted in 2018.

His five defensive holding penalties accepted are the most in the league this year. Ironically, all five have gone against the visiting team.

Moore’s three roughing the passer calls this season are tied for second behind Land Clark’s four.

And his 4.33 offensive holding penalties per game are tied for third.

Road teams are 3-0 with Moore on the call this year and 5-2 in the last seven games he’s worked overall.

Moore worked two Bengals games during his tenure as an umpire on Bill Vinovich’s crew – the MNF loss at Cleveland in Week 8, 2022; and the 27-24 overtime win against the Minnesota Vikings at Paycor in Week 15, 2023.

The Bengals are cycling through a group of officials who have worked recent games of theirs while other officials have extremely long droughts without work a Cincinnati game.

Cincinnati villain Ron Torbert has one of the longest Bengals droughts in the league.

Here are the longest spans without working a Cincinnati game among the 17 current officials.

Shawn Smith, Week 14, 2023

Shawn Hochuli, Week 13, 2024

Alan Eck, Week 2, 2025

Ron Torbert, Week 3, 2025

Carl Cheffers, Week 5, 2025

Scott Novak, Week 8, 2025

Clete Blakeman, Week 9, 2025

Bill Vinovich, Week 11, 2025

Land Clark, Week 12, 2025

Craig Wrolstad, Week 13, 2025

Brad Rogers, Week 14, 2025

Brad Allen, Week 15, 2025

Alex Kemp, Week 18, 2025

John Hussey, Week 1, 2026

Adrian Hill, Week 2, 2026

Clay Martin, Week 3, 2026

Alex Moore, Week 4, 2026

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