The New Orleans Saints referee assignment for Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons has been set, and this time it will be John Hussey, per Football Zebras. Hussey most recently refereed a game for the Saints late in the 2023 season with their Week 18 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. In that game, his crew threw eleven penalty flags for 90 yards, eight of which came against the Saints for 75 yards.
It is worth noting that Hussey has a slight favor for away teams through three weeks, calling 17 penalties against the home teams and 12 against the visiting teams. This season he has called 29 total for 288 yards, three of which were declined and two of which were offsetting. His 29 penalties are the third-fewest of any referee crew this season, and his 288 yards are the ninth-fewest of any crew this season as well.
As for his history with the Saints all-time, Hussey has helped 25 games for the team, and in those matchups the Saints have a whopping 20-5 record. For the games he has refereed between the Saints and Falcons, the Saints are 3-0. Hussey was promoted from line judge to referee in 2015 and the Saints are 9-2 since then (and 2-0 against Atlanta). Overall, it is a good sign that the Saints have had a shot with him leading this week’s officiating crew, so we will see if that translates in Week 4 or has any implications.
