The NFL doesn’t only flex video games out of primetime.
Alex Moore’s crew has been pulled from the “Sunday Night Football” matchup between the Eagles and Commanders, and instead will be on the Patriots-Dolphins afternoon recreation, according to Football Zebras.
The crew led by Shawn Hochuli will ref the matchup in Washington.
Referee Alex Moore walks the discipline during an NFL soccer recreation between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 8, 2026. Getty Images
The report cites unnamed officiating sources, and states the change was made “more about optics than a disciplinary action.”
The swap comes after a controversial outing by Moore’s crew during the Week 7 recreation between the Packers and Lions. That recreation included two unpopular roughing the passer calls on Green Bay and an pointless roughness call on Detroit’s Derrick Barnes.
The Barnes call, which came after the linebacker hit Packers operating back Marshawn Lloyd just after the ball went through Lloyd’s arms late in the recreation, drew criticism from Fox lead analyst Tom Brady.
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur talks to referee Alex Moore during an NFL soccer recreation against the Detroit Lions in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. NurPhoto via Getty Images
“Oh, come on, man,” Brady said on the broadcast as the penalty was announced. “That’s allowed 99 out of 100…it’s a bang-bang play.”
Brady was also vocal on a late roughing-the-passer call on Packers defensive lineman Karl Brooks.
“No, my goodness, what is that? There’s no way.” Brady exclaimed. “Brooks on the tackle kind of makes a great play. It’s a bang-bang play. He rolls off his body; it’s a great throw by Goff, that’s definitely not roughing the passer.”
Making the Week 8 crew change helps preserve the Week 7 efficiency out of the highlight with much of the nation getting the Broncos-Chiefs showdown on CBS in that 4:25 pm slot reverse Patriots-Dolphins.
Brady’s complaints were already heard by an viewers of 24.67 million last Sunday.