While the regular season sees each NFL ref have a consistent crew from week to week, that changes in the playoffs. The league grades an official’s performance each game they work during the regular season. The grading is part of how officials are assigned to postseason crews.
The four referees assigned to games this weekend were off during the Wild Card games. Each referee has some members of their regular crew with them this weekend.
NFL Referee Assignments for Divisional Round Games
All penalty stat information is courtesy of NFLPenalties.com.Â
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens | John Hussey
Houston was one of the most penalized teams in the NFL during the regular season but only had three flags against them in last week’s win against the Cleveland Browns.
Baltimore had 955 penalty yards this season, the third-highest in the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys led the league with 1,012 penalty yards in 18 games this season.
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers | Alex Kemp
The 49ers have averaged 5.3 penalties per game in 12 wins and 7.4 penalties per game in five losses. San Francisco had 12 penalties in a Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns and 10 penalties in a Week 16 loss to the Ravens.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions | Bill Vinovich
The Lions have been called for defensive pass interference 12 times this season, the fifth highest in the NFL. The Buccaneers have only been called for defensive pass interference six times this season, the fourth-lowest in the league.
Detroit has been called for illegal contact on defense six times, the third most, while Tampa Bay’s defense has not had an illegal contact penalty.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills | Shawn Hochuli
Buffalo only had two penalties against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card game to continue a significant trend. The Bills were 6-6 after 12 games and were averaging 6.8 penalties per game. In the last six games, Buffalo has won each game and is averaging four penalties per game.
MORE: NFL Playoff Bracket
The last time these two teams met in Week 14, a penalty decided the game. Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney lined up offsides and negated a 49-yard touchdown that would have given Kansas City a lead with 1:25 left in the game. After the penalty, Patrick Mahomes had three incomplete passes to end their comeback attempt.
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