Controversy has dogged the Kansas City Chiefs this season. Every little detail surrounding the team is scrutinized from every angle by fans and experts alike, so as soon as it became known who will be the head official for their game against the Buffalo Bills, social media exploded.
On Wednesday afternoon, the NFL announced that Shawn Hochuli’s crew will be in charge of directing the duel to be played at Highmark Stadium on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The controversy broke out due to some statistical anomaly in the Hochuli record that seems to favor the Chiefs.
The son of legendary referee Ed Hochuli, Shawn began his NFL career in 2014 and was named head official in 2018. Since then, he has officiated 10 Chiefs games, including two in the postseason.
With Hochuli at the main whistle, the Chiefs are 8-2, 2-0 in the playoffs. Instead, the Bills are 1-3 when Hochuli coaches their games, and have received 40 penalties that have cost them 347 yards.
Fans, divided between those who believe the NFL or referees seek to benefit Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs and those who think the referees harm Kansas City, expressed their surprise on social media as soon as the referee crews for the Divisional Round games were announced.
This was no exception and as soon as the refereeing crews for the Divisional Round games were announced, fans took to social media to express their surprise.
“NFL wants Mahomes vs Lamar next week,” said one fan on X, formerly Twitter, “So we know what the nfl script has in mind,” said one more, and another added, “The fix is in!”
Of course, there was no shortage of the other side of the coin, with some armchair coach saying “Bill’s fans already making excuses lol,” and another seconding him saying “Laying the excuse foundation just in case I see.”
Regardless of what conspiracy theorists may think, the Bills have the advantage in their rivalry with the Chiefs, with a record of 29-24-1. Although they belong to different divisions, both teams have met six times in the last four years, with a 3-3 record.
However, in postseason games, Kansas City has won both times they have faced each other: 42-36 in overtime in the Divisional Round of the 2021 season and 38-24 in the AFC Championship Game of the 2020 campaign. .
The coin is in the air. Regardless of the refereeing, both teams will give their best efforts to take one more step towards Las Vegas, Nevada, the home of Super Bowl LVIII.
