The Baltimore Ravens get their shot at payback against the team that knocked them out of the postseason. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are looking to open the new campaign on the right foot, starting their quest for the franchise’s elusive first Super Bowl title.
The Sunday Night Football clash is loaded with storylines that fit the bill for the NFL’s most intriguing regular-season opener. But with two fired-up squads in the spotlight, the question remains: Who will be in charge of keeping everyone in line as the action heats up?
Who Is the Referee for Week 1 Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens?
John Hussey, heading into his 24th season as an NFL official, will be the referee for Bills vs. Ravens on Sunday night. He started out as a line judge in 2002 and worked that job until he was promoted to referee in 2015. Since then, Hussey has worked 164 regular-season games in his current role, plus at least one postseason matchup every year for the last eight seasons.
Hussey was the line judge in Super Bowl XLV and served as alternate referee in both Super Bowl LIV and Super Bowl LVII. He has taken charge of four conference championship games, most recently the 2023 NFC title matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here’s how his crew is shaping up for this game:
- Umpire: Duane Heydt
- Down Judge: Max Causey
- Line Judge: Carl Johnson
- Field Judge: Anthony Flemming
- Side Judge: Allen Baynes
- Back Judge: Matt Edwards
- Replay Official: Andrew Lambert
- Replay Assistant: Sebrina Brunson
Looking back at last year, Hussey’s crew averaged 11.12 penalties and 95.59 penalty yards per game. He was also on the whistle for the Bills’ 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans in October.
Meanwhile, Duane Heydt, now Hussey’s umpire, joined from Brad Allen’s crew, adding a new face to the sideline.
Off the field, Hussey is the CEO and co-founder of CUDDLY, which the Orange County Register describes as a company dedicated to helping abused and neglected pets.
According to Referee Magazine, CUDDLY has teamed up with over 2,100 rescue partners worldwide– places like South Korea, Thailand, and Mexico– and has funded more than 7,000 campaigns with $10 million in donations. Just like he leads his NFL crew, Hussey guides a team of 11 full-time employees and four offshore contracted developers.
“What’s unique about CUDDLY, we only raise money for certified nonprofits,” Hussey told the same publication. “We make sure that the organizations that are raising money for CUDDLY have been vetted. We do the work for the donors. We want the donors to feel that it’s a trusted, verified organization that their funds or products are going to.”