The Chicago Bears will host the Los Angeles Rams in a prime-time NFC Divisional Round matchup at Soldier Field, with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line. As postseason games bring increased scrutiny to every call, the NFL’s referee assignment for Sunday night adds an extra layer of context to a matchup already drawing national attention.
Shawn Hochuli Will Officiate Bears-Rams in Prime-Time Divisional Round
The NFL announced that Shawn Hochuli will serve as the referee for the Bears-Rams Divisional Round game. Hochuli, 47, is in his eighth season as an NFL referee and his 12th year in the league overall. Sunday’s matchup will be his seventh postseason assignment as a head official.
This will be Hochuli’s ninth Rams game as referee since taking on the role in 2018. Los Angeles is 5-3 in those eight previous games, including a 20-15 win over the Raiders during the 2024 season. The Bears are 2-1 all-time in games officiated by Hochuli, though Chicago did not have him assigned to any games this regular season.
Penalty trends offer additional context. During the regular season, Hochuli’s crew called 232 penalties, the second-most in the NFL. Home teams have won 55.17% of games officiated by Hochuli and have also been penalized more frequently, with 128 penalties compared to 104 for road teams.
However, Hochuli will not be working with his standard regular-season crew, as the NFL assembles postseason officiating teams from the highest-graded officials across the league.
The Bears were among the most-penalized teams in the NFL this season, committing 120 penalties, the sixth-highest total in the league. While that history does not guarantee how Sunday’s game will be officiated, it adds another layer to how both teams may approach the matchup.
Sunday’s game will be played in prime time at Soldier Field, where the Bears are aiming to shock the NFL world and advance to the NFC Championship Game. The Rams enter with postseason momentum of their own, setting up a matchup that figures to be physical and closely officiated from start to finish.
Following Saturday’s divisional round game in Denver, which ended controversially due to multiple questionable calls, the extra attention will likely be on this officiating crew to conclude another weekend of playoff football.
- Referee: Shawn Hochuli
- Umpire: Bryan Neale
- Down Judge: Patrick Holt
- Line Judge: Brian Perry
- Field Judge: Anthony Flemming
- Side Judge: Chad Hill
- Back Judge: Greg Steed
- Replay Official: Chad Adams
- Replay Assistant: Amber Cipriani
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Rams have the best offense in the league, and it will be interesting to see how they perform against a Bears defense that is ranked 22nd on PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric.
