Saints-Texans referee a 'solid leader,' 'will have game face on'

The game is the "toughest officiating assignment" of the last 20 seasons, retired NFL official John Parry says.

NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans will have one of the least experienced officiating crews working their season opening game Monday.

But according to retired NFL referee John Parry, the crew led by referee John Hussey will have a "solid leader" and a "good communicator" in charge of making calls.

"This game is made for Huss," Parry wrote in a Twitter message posted Tuesday. Parry also described Hussey as a "demanding crew chief" who will "have his game face on."

The crew has 65 seasons of combined experience.

Hussey has been an official since 2002 and a referee since 2015. He has officiated in 19 games involving the Saints, including one in each of the last four seasons as a referee. 

The Saints are 3-1 with him as a referee, with wins in 2016 against the Rams, 2017 against the Panthers and 2018 against the Falcons. The lone Saints' loss came when they faced the Texans in 2015, in Houston.

Parry said in an ESPN conference call last week he thought the Saints-Texans game would be the "toughest officiating assignment" he could think of in at least 20 years because of what happened in the NFC championship last season.

Many believe the missed pass interference and helmet-to-helmet penalties in the final minutes cost the Saints a shot at reaching the Super Bowl.

"I don't recall in 12 years as a crew chief having to prepare for the fans, the Dome, the noise, the response, what I would guess would be a not-so-warm welcome," Parry said in a separate interview last week with Maven - Sports Illustrated Media. "New Orleans is a passionate city. The fans, it will be an emotional game. They really haven't received the resolution they're satisfied with."

Parry called the Saints-Texans matchup a "personality game." The league needs a "blue-collar crew" that will call the game efficiently, he said last week.

Parry will be in the ESPN broadcast booth for the Monday night opener between the Saints and Texans. He is a first-year officiating analyst for the network.