Good Ref for Patriots .. Maybe

The Boston Herald's John Tomase is reporting that referee Bill Carollo's crew will work the AFC Championship game this weekend.

This is good news for the New England Patriots, because Carollo's crew generally "let's the boys play." That means (we hope) that there will be less of a chance for ridiculous, one-way illegal contact and pass interference calls that the Indianapolis Colts thrive on.

According to Tomase, Carollo's crew called the fourth-fewest penalties this season and the fewest defensive pass interference. They called above average numbers of illegal contact, but below average defensive holding.

Following the Baltimore game, Colts president Bill Polian began his incessant whining that playoff games were low-scoring because receivers were getting assaulted by defenders and there weren't enough penalties called.

Polian is on the league competition committee, and the officials will have to hear him all off-season, so it's clear that Polian is lobbying for lots of defensive penalties on one particular team this weekend. Whether Carollo's crew obliges will be known in about 60 hours.

Carollo's crew has not called a Patriots game yet this season.