Referee Brad Allen, who drew controversy for his work in 2023, including nullifying the Detroit Lions’ two-point conversion with an incorrect ruling that a player never reported as eligible, is working the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 4 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. The news was revealed in NFL Communications’ Week 4 game capsule.
Allen did not work this past weekend, as his crew was given a bye for Week 3. Each week, one crew is given the week off, and ahead of the trip to Ireland, it was Allen’s crew last week. So far, the crew has worked two games that have wound up being blowouts, as Allen’s crew was the official for the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins and the Cleveland Browns’ Week 2 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
In Week 1, Allen’s crew called seven total penalties while calling 12 in Week 2. The seven penalties in Week 1 totaled 60 yards, while the 12 accounted for 70 yards in penalties. While the Week 4 matchup is in Ireland, the Steelers are officially the home team, and Allen has called 10 penalties on the home team and nine on the away team last season.
Allen called the Steelers’ Week 12 win over the Cleveland Browns last season. He also did the Steelers-Ravens Week 18 matchup in 2023 and Pittsburgh’s divisional round playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018. Once thought to be one of the best up-and-coming officials in football, Allen and his crew have drawn scrutiny in recent years. Allen never spent any time in the league as anything other than a crew chief, being hired as one right out of college.
Last season, false start was overwhelmingly the most-called penalty by Allen and his crew, as it was called 49 times. They also called offensive holding 34 times and defensive pass interference 24 times, while calling roughing the passer 10 times. Those were the crew’s four-most-called penalties, per nflpenalties.com.
Allen is looking to rebound after drawing a lot of criticism for how he and his crew have performed recently, particularly in 2023. He’ll have many eyes on him in a nationally televised game on Sunday morning.
