Bills Central

Buffalo Bills get unfamiliar officiating crew vs. Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14

The Bills will play in a game with this head referee for the first time since 2021.
Alex Brasky|
Referee Brad Rogers calls for a Packers first down after reviewing the play in the third quarter of their preseason game against the Houston Texans Thursday, August 8, 2019 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
Referee Brad Rogers calls for a Packers first down after reviewing the play in the third quarter of their preseason game against the Houston Texans Thursday, August 8, 2019 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. | Hannah Schroeder, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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The Buffalo Bills will see an unfamiliar face when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14.

And it won't be a player or coach wearing black-and-orange stripes, but rather black-and-white.

RELATED: Buffalo Bills' starter reveals injury update for Week 14 matchup vs. Bengals

Brad Rogers
NFL referee Brad Rogers (left) and down judge Kent Payne (79) talk on the field during the game between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second quarter against at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Long time coming

For the first time since the 2021 season, a Bills game will be officiated by head referee Brad Rogers, who hasn’t called a game involving the Bills since Week 11, 2021, a 41-15 shellacking of Buffalo at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts.

It’s been even longer since Rogers has officiated a game at Highmark Stadium, with his last job in Orchard Park coming in Week 5 of the 2019 campaign, a 14-7 Bills win over the Tennessee Titans.

MORE: Buffalo Bills OC Joe Brady's connections with Week 14 opponent run deep

Discipline up front

Rogers and crew have called the eighth-most penalties per game in the league this season (13.09), with 44.5% of their overall penalties being assessed for false start or offensive holding, which is the most in the league, per @NFLrefStats1 on X. That could spell trouble for the Bills, who have been called for the most offensive holding and false start penalties combined this season. In total, 46% ofBuffalo’s penalties have come via those two infractions.

The Bills were without their two starting offensive tackles, Spencer Brown and Dion Dawkins, this past week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In their absence, replacement right tackle Alec Anderson was called for two false start penalties, while starting center Connor McGovern also jumped early and was flagged as a result.

Buffalo must be on its Ps and Qs along the offensive line this week, or it could be a long day for the Bills’ offense, which has struggled to find a consistent identity this season.

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Alex Brasky
ALEX BRASKY

Alex Brasky is editor of Bills Digest and host of the Buffalo Pregame podcast. He has been on the Bills beat the past six seasons and now joins Sports Illustrated hoping to expand his coverage of Buffalo’s favorite football team.

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