The NFL assigned veteran referee Alex Kemp to work Week 5’s New Orleans Saints-New England Patriots game; Kemp is one of the more-experienced referees around the league, having been promoted to the position back in 2018 after working four years as a field judge and side judge. New Orleans is 3-2 in games he’s officiated, while New England is 4-1.
Kemp’s crew is also one of the most flag-happy around. They average 20 penalty flags per game, which leads the league — but they have also had more penalties dismissed (4.3) than any other crew. However, they have called more fouls against visitors (9.5, leading the league) than home teams (6.3).
That doesn’t bode well for New Orleans. So which areas do they need to watch themselves most carefully? Kemp’s crew has penalized teams more often for false starts (3 times per game) and offensive holding fouls (2 per game) than anything else, but they also lead the league in face mask penalties (5 times in 4 weeks). Clean hands are going to have to be a point of emphasis this week.
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