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Referee Report: Man on the Call Sunday for Bengals vs. Steelers Has Been Top 5 in Flags Thrown in 4 of Last 5 Years

Jay Morrison

Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NFL referee Shawn Hochuli (83) signals a penalty on the Dallas Cowboys against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NFL referee Shawn Hochuli (83) signals a penalty on the Dallas Cowboys against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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CINCINNATI – The referee for the Cincinnati Bengals ’ game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday has a recognizable name and some previous experience with the AFC North rivalry.

Shawn Hochuli, the son of legendary former referee Ed Hochuli, has been a head referee since 2018, and this will be the sixth Cincinnati game he has worked during that time.

The Bengals are 2-3 with Shawn Hochuli as the referee, including the 23-20 overtime loss to the Steelers in the 2022 season opener.

Hochuli and his crew are averaging 13.6 penalties per game, which ranks fifth most in the league. The group is averaging 6.8 calls against the home team and 6.8 against the visitors.

Ranking near the top of the league is nothing new for Hochuli and his crew. They have been in the top four in three of the past four years – 11th in 2023, fourth in 2022, second in 2021 and third in 2020.

The group has topped its 13.6 average in two of the last three games, throwing 15 accepted flags last week in the Lions-Colts game and 16 in Week 9 Thursday night Texans-Jets game.

Hochuli has earned playoff assignments every year he has been a referee but has never worked a conference championship game or Super Bowl.

Here is a closer look at the Bengals games Hochuli has worked through the years.

Week 6, 2021: Bengals 34, Lions 11

Bengals 4-31; Lions 9-77

Week 13, 2021: Chargers 41, Bengals 22

Bengals 7-63; Chargers 7-51

Week 1, 2022: Steelers 23, Bengals 20 OT

Bengals 4-27; Steelers 8-59

Week 2, 2023: Ravens 27, Bengals 24

Bengals 5-30; Steelers 6-56

Week 15, 2023: Bengals 34, Colts 14

Bengals 5-30, Colts 9-66

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.