Hate Penalties During Bills Games? Great News For Monday Night

In case you haven't heard, there's a pretty big game that will be played on Monday night at Highmark Stadium. The Buffalo Bills will host their division rival, the New England Patriots for Monday Night Football.

The Patriots have played one more game than the Bills and sit atop the AFC East at 8-4 (the Bills are 7-4). Whoever wins on Monday will take sole possession of first place in the AFC East standings, and have a prime spot to take first place in the AFC this season, which would come with a first-round playoff bye week.

When it comes to Patriots games, ever small facet is put under the microscope for fans and analysts alike. One of the biggest things fans have been paying attention to this season, for any NFL game, are the penalties.

It's been a big storyline for the NFL -- the sheer number of penalties that have been called in 2021. Over 2,200 penalties have been called leaguewide this year.

The Bills are 8th in total penalties called against them this season with 79 penalties for nearly 700 yards.

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However, the officiating crew that has been assigned for the Patriots-Bills game on Monday night brings some good news for both the Bills and Patriots.

ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss is reporting that Bill Vinovich will work Patriots-Bills on Monday Night Football.

Vinovich's crew averages a league-low 11.7 penalties per game in the NFL this year.

Ironically, only eight total penalties were called during the Bills-Saints Thanksgiving game -- four for each team. 10 penalties were called in the Bills blowout loss against the Colts, while 16 were called in the Bills blowout win against the Jets.

Hopefully, the fact Vinovich's crew will officiate the Monday Night Football game means that it won't be a flag-fest, which has annoyed NFL fans this season.