NEW ORLEANS — By the numbers, the recently announced head referee for the Saints playoff match up against the Vikings on Sunday, Jan. 5 is the best New Orleans fans could hope for.
Carl Cheffers is a 19-year officiating veteran in the National Football League. He started as a side judge in 2000 and moved to head refereeing in 2008, according to Pro Football Reference.
New Orleans is 18-4 in the 22 Saints games Cheffers has officiated over the years.
They're 11-1 when Cheffers is in charge and have been on a 7-0 streak in games he's refereed since they lost in Week 2 of 2015 against Tampa Bay under his watch.
Most recently, Cheffers was the ref when the Saints won the huge Week 4 match up against the Dallas Cowboys 12-10 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this season.
Before that, he officiated the Saints' Divisional Round victory against the Eagles last season.
Cheffers also was the head referee for Super Bowl LI in Houston, when the Atlanta Falcons blew a 28-3 lead and lost to the New England Patriots in overtime -- the only Super Bowl to ever be decided in overtime.
Penalties have been a noticeable issue for the Saints this season. They're sixth-worst penalized team in the league, according to NOLA.com.
The Saints host the Vikings Sunday at noon. The winner goes to Green Bay on Jan 12 for the divisional round.
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