If you're a fan of the Denver Broncos and you believe in superstitions, you might want to turn away.
With Week 1 in the NFL officially kicking off on Wednesday, the league has announced its referee assignments for each game of the opening weekend. The Broncos drew referee Clay Martin. That may be an unfamiliar name, but there are a couple of reasons why this may not be a good thing.
The Broncos are 0-3 in their last three games in which Martin was the referee. All three of those games were played on the road, which the Broncos will be in Week 1.
Martin did not officiate a Broncos game last season, but the three previous games in which he was the referee include a prime-time loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024, the 70-point debacle in Miami
in 2023 and a tough road defeat to the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who is on target to start this game, has never lost a game in which Martin was the referee. He has a perfect 8-0 record in those games.
Perhaps no team in NFL history has been criticized more for being helped by bad officiating, and statistics like these are the kinds of things fans point to. That said, the Chiefs do deserve credit for the success they have achieved under Mahomes and Andy Reid.
The Broncos are a team coming off a 14-win season, out to show the world that they have gotten even better. But they are the road team headed to one of the toughest places to play in front of a national television audience. It will also be the return to the field of the league's most recognized (and some would say most protected) face.
Throw in this referee stat, and this has all the makings of a rough start to the season for the Broncos.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL sets referee for Broncos-Chiefs game (it might be bad news for Denver)
