Detroit Lions fans know the name Carl Cheffers all too well. For those who don’t cling to decade-old heartbreaks, Cheffers was the referee in Detroit’s controversial 2015 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers connected on a Hail Mary to win after Cheffers’ crew granted Green Bay an untimed down on a phantom face mask penalty that replays showed never actually happened.

Cheffers and his staff will now be assigned to officiate Detroit’s Week 5 showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.

If that weren’t troubling enough, Cheffers’ crew has been throwing an excessive number of flags this season. Through three games, they are averaging an eye-popping 18.67 penalties per contest—by far the highest of any crew this year (per NFLPenalties.com). That’s a drastic spike compared to last season, when his crew averaged the fewest penalties per game at just 10.3.

The last time Cheffers called a Lions matchup was Week 8 last year versus the Tennessee Titans. That outing produced only 11 total penalties, with the Lions themselves responsible for just three of them.

One bright spot is Detroit’s overall discipline so far in 2025. They’ve committed only 171 yards of penalties through four games, the fourth-lowest figure across the league. Interestingly, Cincinnati sits right behind them with 172 penalty yards surrendered.

So will Cheffers’ group rein things in this weekend, or should fans brace for another yellow flag parade when the Lions and Bengals square off? Let’s all hope for a smooth, drama-free afternoon in Cincinnati.