Eagles vs. Commanders Referee Assignment Favors Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to return to the Super Bowl after a one-year hiatus as they take on the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship game. After two impressive wins at the Linc, the Eagles are trying to keep their perfect postseason home record intact. As the postseason rolls on, the margins between winning and losing get smaller. So, the Eagles will need every little advantage they can get.

It looks like they caught a break that they can use to their advantage. The NFL announced the referee assignments for Sunday and Shawn Hochuli will officiate the Eagles-Commanders clash. The Eagles have a solid record with Hochuli in charge while the Commanders have a dubious history with the experienced referee.

Shawn Hochuli Will Officiate Eagles vs. Commanders Game on Sunday

Since becoming a head referee before the 2018 season, Hochuli officiated seven Eagles games. Philadelphia is 6-1 in those games and won their last six. The last Eagles game Hochuli was officiating was the Week 6 victory over the Browns. In the 20-16 victory, Hochuli called seven penalties for the Browns for 55 yards and only five penalties for the Eagles.

This is in line with Hochuli's general approach. He is known to have one of the highest penalty counts in the NFL, averaging 13.8 penalties per game and over 113 penalty yards. Both marks are significantly above the NFL average for referees.

The Commanders are not as lucky with Hochuli in charge. They are 1-3 in his games, the only win coming against the Saints in Week 15. Washington was furious with the referee after the game as Hochuli's crew had a major miscue stopping the clock when it should have been running during the Saints' final drive.

Whether this past will have any impact on the NFC Championship Game remains to be seen but Eagles fans should be happy with this assignment from the NFL.

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