NFL ref assignments: Which officiating crews will get the call for divisional playoff round
- - NFL ref assignments: Which officiating crews will get the call for divisional playoff round
Chris Cwik January 14, 2026 at 9:56 PM
0
As the NFL season winds down and teams get eliminated, the league also starts to cut down on which officiating crews get assigned to each game. With the games mattering more, the NFL typically makes sure its best officials are assigned to the biggest games of the year.
The league unveiled those referee assignments Monday, and some familiar names will once again get the call in the divisional round. With games just around the corner, here's how the NFL decided to assign its officiating crews for each contest.
Bills at Broncos: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Referee: Carl Cheffers
Cheffers is the most senior referee assigned to a divisional-round game. He's been an NFL official for 26 seasons, including 18 as a referee. This contest will mark the 21st postseason assignment of his career, per Football Zebras. Cheffers has served as a referee during all rounds of the playoffs before, including three Super Bowls.
Cheffers' crew is known for calling more penalties compared to the average NFL crew. It averaged nearly two penalties per game more compared to other officiating crews this season, per Pro Football Reference. The home team won slightly more when Cheffers' crew was assigned to a game in 2025, which could bode well for the Denver Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
49ers at Seahawks: 8 p.m. ET Saturday
Referee: John Hussey
Hussey, like Cheffers, has a ton of experience as an official. He's held that role for 24 seasons, including 11 as a referee. He's had 19 postseason assignments over his career, per Football Zebras, and has officiated in every round of the playoffs, including Super Bowl XLV.
Hussey's crew tends to call fewer penalties than other officiating crews, though is far more willing to penalize a home team. Hussey's crew called 53 percent of its penalties against home teams in 2025. The average sits at 49 percent, per Pro Football Reference. Despite that, home teams won roughly 63 percent of the games officiated by Hussey's crew this season.
Shawn Smith will oversee his 10th NFL postseason assignment Sunday. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) (Wesley Hitt via Getty Images)Texans at Patriots: 3 p.m. ET, Sunday
Referee: Shawn Smith
Smith has been an NFL official for 11 seasons and has been a referee for eight years. This will mark his 10th postseason assignment. Smith has officiated games in the wild-card round, divisional round and conference championships, but has never been the referee for a Super Bowl.
Smith's crew called fewer penalties on the home team this season, which resulted in an 80 percent winning percentage for home teams in games in which Smith was the referee in 2025. His crew calls penalties at almost exactly the league average, so Texans-Patriots shouldn't be a contest that features excessive flags.
Rams at Bears: 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday
Referee: Shawn Hochuli
Hochuli has similar experience to Smith. Hochuli, the son of former NFL official Ed Hochuli, has been an official for 12 seasons and a referee for eight. This assignment will mark Shawn Hochuli's 10th in the postseason. He's been a referee in every round of the playoffs except the Super Bowl, per Football Zebras.
Hochuli's crew tends to call more penalties than normal, coming in around roughly two additional penalties per game in 2025. They are typically costly penalties, as Hochuli's crew averaged 124.56 yards per game in penalties this season. The average crew called 101.77 yards in penalties per game in 2025.
Source: “AOL Sports”
