NFL
How the AFC Championship game referee assignment Shawn Smith benefits the Chiefs
The referee assigned to the AFC Championship game is wearing uniform number 14. He began as an umpire in 2015 and was promoted to referee in 2018.
Shawn Smith will serve as the head referee for the AFC Championship game. During the Mahomes era, the Chiefs had a 5-2 record when Smith was the referee. This has garnered attention from NFL media and raised eyebrows among game analysts.
The first to notice this discrepancy was Warren Sharp.
Upon the presentation of statistical evidence by Sharp on Tuesday, questions arose regarding the impact of officiating on crucial matchups, dispelling any initial beliefs of coincidence.
It is worth noting that there is an argument that contradicts the statistical presumption. Although there is a 71% chance of winning, which is still impressive, it is slightly lower than the Kansas City Chiefs’ overall record during the Mahomes era. In fact, Mahomes’ winning percentage when Shawn Smith was the referee was only 77.7% (87-25), which is actually below average. In addition, the Chiefs’ playcaller has a winning percentage of 0.8125 in the playoffs.
Smith served as the main referee during the Chiefs’ loss to the Eagles in a previous game. He was also the referee during their unexpected defeat against the Colts in Week 3 last season. Over the past four seasons, games in which Smith served as the lead official have averaged just over 11 penalties per game.