Broncos vs. Bills referees: Why Bill Vinovich's NFL playoff assignment could make Sean Payton upset

In his second year at the helm, Sean Payton has helped the Broncos end a nine-year postseason drought. As exciting as Denver's return to the playoffs may be, it faces a tough test in the wild-card round as it travels to face a Bills team that went 8-0 at home during the regular season.

While the Bills' home-field advantage is a challenge in itself, the Bill Vinovich-led officiating crew makes for an interesting subplot to Sunday's game. For better or worse, Payton and Vinovich have become familiar with one another in recent years, with a seismic non-call standing at the forefront of their history.

Nearly six years ago, a Vinovich-led crew missed a defensive pass interference penalty committed on a Payton-led Saints team in the NFC Championship Game. In the time since, their paths only crossed during Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season when the Broncos suffered a one-point loss to the Raiders in Payton's debut as Denver's lead man.

Here's a closer look at the history between the two parties and why Payton's patience may be tested during Denver's return to the postseason.

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Broncos vs. Bills referees

Bill Vinovich is the referee assigned to the Broncos vs. Bills wild-card playoff game. This is the 202th NFL playoff game Vinovich will work. He's in his 19th NFL season and his 16th as a referee.

Vinovich's crew for Sunday includes the following officials:

• Referee: Bill Vinovich (52)
• Umpire: Tab Slaughter (110)
• Down judge: Dale Keller (9)
• Line judge: Tripp Sutter (37)
• Field judge: Jabir Walker (26)
• Side judge: Frank Steratore (132)
• Back judge: Jimmy Russell (82)
• Replay official: Denise Crudup
• Replay assistant: Chad Wakefield

MORE: NFL playoff power rankings 2025: Chiefs, Bills, Eagles top contenders for Super Bowl 59

Why Bill Vinovich's assignment could make Sean Payton upset

While Vinovich was not responsible for the missed call near the end of the 2019 NFC Championship Game, it's hard to ignore that it happened. It is also worth noting that Vinovich is the only official from the 2019 game who will be on hand for the wild-card round in 2025.

As noted by CBS NFL insider Jonathan Jones, Vinovich has not officiated a Saints game since then.

With a small sample size, there is not much data to back whether or not Vinovich-led crews are bad news for Payton's teams but one stat does stand out: Payton is 0-2 in his last two games officiated by Vinovich.

That no officials from the controversial 2019 non-ruling will be on hand should soften the blow but it is impossible to ignore the fact that one of the key figures in such a devastating loss for Payton will be reprising their role this time around.

Saints 2019 pass interference non-call, revisited

With 1:48 remaining in the 2019 NFC Championship Game, the Saints and Rams were tied 20-20. New Orleans was driving at Los Angeles' 13-yard line and had an opportunity to score a touchdown to put LA at a deep disadvantage.

On third-and-10, Saints QB Drew Brees found an open Tommylee Lewis. Before he could make the catch, Lewis was leveled by Rams CB Nickell Robey-Coleman but the ball was not deflected and Robey-Coleman did not attempt to make a legal play.

The sequence on the #Saints sideline after the #Rams no-call pass interference that should've ended the game is heart wrenching. pic.twitter.com/mYJ2smOObZ

Robey-Coleman could have been called for pass interference or unnecessary roughness for an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit. The hit was not penalized but Robey-Coleman was later fined by the league.

Here's the pool report transcript with Bill Vinovich regarding Drew Brees’ pass attempt to Tommylee Lewis (defended by Nickell Robey-Coleman): pic.twitter.com/osUkGsVaTg

Either call would have given the Saints a first-and-goal and an opportunity to run the clock down before a potential game-winning touchdown or field goal. Instead, New Orleans had to kick the field goal to take a three-point lead before LA tied things up to force overtime.

In the extra period, Brees was intercepted on the first drive and the Rams put things away with a game-winning field goal to steal the NFC title and advance to Super Bowl 53.