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NFL Conference Championship Referees: What to Know About Shawn Hochuli, Clete Blakeman Crews

Andrew Reid

Last Updated: January 25, 2025 1:57 PM EST • 3 min 8 sec read.

NFL referee Clete Blakeman calls an illegal procedure penalty as we look at the referees for the AFC and NFC Conference Championship on Sunday.
Pictured: NFL referee Clete Blakeman calls an illegal procedure penalty. Photo by Kirby Lee / Imagn Images.

"Heads or tails?" 

There's a good chance that question will be the last time you're not frustrated with the referees if you have a rooting interest in the AFC or NFC Championship Games on Sunday. One group of fans (and often bettors) will inevitably feel as though there was some injustice done to them by the refs when the dust settles.

Before we go any further, put your tinfoil hats away. This isn't about how your team is so hard done by or how a particular player wearing red always gets all the calls.

We're just here to examine the cold, hard facts and dive into the NFL Conference Championship referee trends for Shawn Hochuli (NFC Championship) and Clete Blakeman (AFC Championship) ahead of Sunday.

Who is the referee for Commanders vs. Eagles?

NFL referee Shawn Hochuli signals a penalty as we break down the NFL Conference Championship referee trends ahead of Championship Sunday.
Pictured: NFL referee Shawn Hochuli signals a penalty. Photo by Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images.

NFC Championship ref: Shawn Hochuli

It was as though the NFL had a rule that a Hochuli had to be a referee. Shawn made the leap from back judge to referee in 2018, the same year that his legendary gun-show father, Ed Hochuli, retired. But what do we know about the younger Hochuli and how he likes to call games? 

Hochuli and his crew have been in charge of 16 games this year with 221 flagged penalties. That's the fifth-most flags on the season and tied for the fourth-most flags per game (13.81). Those flags accounted for 113.19 yards per game, according to nflpenalties.com, which was the fourth-most in the league.

So we can expect some whistles in Sunday's matinee ... just not as many as in the night game (more on that later). 

Since 2020, Hochuli has been on the mic for just three Washington games: two in 2020 (both losses) and one just a few weeks ago when the Commanders snuck out a 20-19 victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 15.

In that same range, he's covered six Philadelphia games. The Eagles are 6-0 in those games, including a Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Shawn Hochuli stats this season

  • Games: 16
  • Home teams straight up: 10-6
  • Home teams against the spread: 8-8
  • Home favorites ATS: 4-5
  • Over/Under: 7-9

Commanders vs. Eagles odds

How to watch NFC Championship

  • When: Sunday, Jan. 26 - 3 p.m. ET
  • Where: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
  • How to watch: FOX

Who is the referee for Bills vs. Chiefs?

NFL referee Clete Blakeman signals as we break down the NFL Conference Championship referee trends ahead of Championship Sunday.
Pictured: NFL referee Clete Blakeman signals. Photo by Orlando Ramirez / Imagn Images.

AFC Championship ref: Clete Blakeman

Well, this one must be a relief for Buffalo fans. The Chiefs are 6-5 in Blakeman games with Mahomes under center, easily one of the worst records with a particular refereeing crew. It's still a winning record, but it's not a perfect one we've seen with some other crews.

The last time Blakeman worked a Chiefs game was Christmas Day last season, when Kansas City dropped a 20-14 game to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders. Since 2020, the Chiefs are 3-4 in games his crew has worked, though Mahomes didn't start in one of those losses.

The Bills have seen the veteran ref a little more recently, as he called their 40-14 win over the New York Jets in Week 17. Since 2020, the Bills are 5-2 in games his crew has worked.

Expect the laundry to be flying on Sunday night. Blakeman's crew led the league with flags (252) and penalty yards (2,128) on the season. 

Clete Blakeman stats this season

  • Games: 16
  • Home teams straight up: 5-11
  • Home teams against the spread: 6-10
  • Home favorites ATS: 2-3
  • Over/Under: 5-11 

Bills vs. Chiefs odds

How to watch AFC Championship

  • When: Sunday, Jan. 26 - 6:30 p.m. ET
  • Where: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City)
  • How to watch: CBS

Conference Championship expert picks

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Written By:
Andrew Reid
Andrew is a Publishing Editor at Sportsbook Review. He graduated from Acadia University with a degree in Kinesiology, working as a personal trainer and in injury rehab, and then attended the College of Sports Media in Toronto to attain a diploma in Radio and Television Sports Broadcasting. Andrew has been involved in the sports betting and fantasy sports space since joining the FNTSY Sports Network in 2014, where he worked as a producer, director, and occasional on-air talent on various shows focusing on sports betting and DFS content. Prior to joining SBR, he spent multiple years with the USA Today Network as an editor and writer. Living in Newfoundland, Andrew frequents grey market sportsbooks, but in the past, when he's lived in regulated areas, he's become well-versed with all of our best sportsbooks. As strictly a casual bettor, he enjoys making touchdown parlays with friends (bro-lays), sweating out golf cut parlays during majors, playing same-game parlays for fun, and chasing long-shot bets. He also enjoys using sportsbooks that have solid iGaming and casino platforms. As the old guy on staff, he has an affinity for industry news, which confuses some, but shh ... quiet ... the news is on.