Lions Draw Official With Ties to Campbell, Goff

Bill Vinovich was ref in 2018 NFC Championship game.

NFL referee Bill Vinovich. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions and Houston Texans square off in one of the most anticipated games on the Lions' schedule in Week 10.

When both teams are performing at a high level, they're among the two best teams in football. While the Lions have been humming along with a 7-1 record, the Texans have had to navigate some injury issues during their 6-3 start.

For Sunday's game, Bill Vinovich has been assigned as the lead official. It will be the first time Vinovich has officiated a Lions game this season.

Vinovich was the referee for the 2018 NFC Championship game between the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints, in which there was a controversial no-call on a hit to the helmet by Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman on Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis.

Jared Goff, current quarterback of the Lions, was the Rams' signal-caller in that game while Lions coaches Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn were on staff for the Saints.

The most recent Lions game officiated by Vinovich came in the Divisional Round of the 2024 playoffs, as he served as the lead referee in Detroit's 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Across Vinovich's career, he has been the lead ref for 14 Lions games, and Detroit has an 8-6 record in those games.

A notable Lions game officiated by Vinovich was the team's 31-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Ford Field on Oct. 27, 2013. That game featured 41 fourth quarter points, including Matthew Stafford's game-winning one-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds remaining.

In 2024, Vinovich ranks near the bottom of the league in total penalties called. He ranks fifth-to-last in total penalties called with 107, and seventh-to-last in flags per game with 12.13.

MORE: Lions Are 3.5-Point Favorites Against Texans

He has officiated a pair of primetime games this season, including a Thursday Night Football matchup between Miami and Buffalo and a Sunday Night Football matchup between Dallas and San Francisco.

The season-high in penalties called by Vinovich's crew is 15, which came at two different points this season including the showdown between the Cowboys and 49ers, along with the Week 4 matchup between Green Bay and Minnesota.

Meanwhile, the season-low in penalties came in Week 2 between Miami and Buffalo, where just eight penalties were called.

In addition to officiating several conference championship games, Vinovich has reffed three Super Bowls: XLIX (Patriots over Seahawks), LIV (Chiefs over 49ers) and LVIII (Chiefs over 49ers).