HL McKenzie moved off Redskins game

Head linesman Dana McKenzie observes a run by Steelers running back Baron Batch in a game against the Redskins. During the game McKenzie ejected Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall in a heated confrontation.

Head linesman Dana McKenzie won’t have to worry about Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall this weekend. To avoid a potential issue, the league has moved his assignment some 35 miles up the road.

CSN Washington reporters Rich Tandler and Tarik El-Bashir are saying that McKenzie is not working the Redskins home playoff game against the Seahawks, but the Ravens-Colts game instead. We reported last night that McKenzie was assigned to the Redskins game.

The last-minute change was made to avoid a conflict between McKenzie and Hall, after Hall was very irate when he was ejected from the game against the Steelers earlier this year. Hall says that McKenzie was just as confrontational. The league imposed a $30,000 fine which was upheld on Hall’s appeal (video of ejection).

Derick Bowers will likely be moved from the Baltimore game to the Washington game.

Pete Morelli was the referee in the game where Hall was ejected, and will head the crew in Sunday’s game. It is likely that the assignment was made to keep Morelli with his head linesman from the regular season, and that no one noticed the conflict until after all the officials were notified of the Wild Card assignments.

Image: Pittsburgh Steelers photo