Chargers-Saints referee assignment is bad news for Bolts after Week 7 screwjob
By Jason Reed
The LA Chargers host the New Orleans Saints in Week 8 in a game that is as much of a must-win as a Week 8 game can be. New Orleans is looking to end a five-game skid after starting the season with so much promise and a 2-0 record. Meanwhile, the Chargers are looking to stay above .500 and overcome the injuries that have struck the wide receiver room.
Los Angeles heads into the game as over a touchdown favorite but fans should not expect the game to be a walk in the park. As bad as New Orleans has looked in recent weeks, the team still has dangerous offensive weapons and the Chargers' lack of said weapons has held the offense back.
There is also the officiating wild card, which burned the Chargers last week. With that wound still fresh, fans are understandably curious about who is calling the game in Week 8.
Saints-Chargers referees for Week 8:
Ron Torbert is the head referee for the Chargers' Week 8 contest against the Saints. Torbert has been an official in the NFL since 2010 and has been a head referee for the league since 2014.
Because NFL referees are part-time many of them work other jobs in the offseason. This crew has an interesting assortment of different side jobs. Torbert is an attorney, Dickson is a commercial real estate developer and Josselyn is a probation offer.
If that wasn't enough bad karma, the last time Torbert called a Chargers game was last season's 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Chargers will look to buck that trend on Sunday.
The rest of Torbert's staff is as followed:
- Umpire: Barry Anderson
- Down Judge: Frank LeBlanc
- Line Judge: Brian Bolinger
- Field Judge: Ryan Dickson
- Side Judge: Keith Washington
- Back Judge: Tony Josselyn
Because NFL referees are part-time many of them work other jobs in the offseason. This crew as an interesting assortment of different side jobs. Torbert is an attorney, Dickson is a commercial real estate developer and Josselyn is a probation offer.
If the NFL made their referees full-time then they would not need to work other jobs during the offseason. They also might get better at calling games, preventing last week's Chargers fiasco from ever happening.