The conversation around NFL officials is always a hot topic throughout any season and only becomes more heated once the playoffs begin. Because the referees have been under fire for much of the last few years, despite commissioner Roger Goodell claiming they're doing their best work right now, it's, of course, something to discuss as the Patriots go into the divisional round.
Although we don't want to harp on the officials' impact on the game, it happens more often than not, and who is making the calls can make a difference. That has been the case often for the Patriots this year, but it looks like they might not face that this weekend, with Shawn Smith being named the head official for Sunday's matchup.
Perhaps it's presumptuous to suggest the referees won't make themselves known during the game, as they do far too often for anyone's liking. However, Smith and his crew have been much more favorable toward home teams, which the Patriots will be on Sunday, and that might become a factor in this game.
Shawn Smith's officiating crew is much better for the Patriots than who was on call vs. the Chargers
More often than not, the officiating crew in a game makes some sort of impact on the result in one way or another, and that seems to happen a lot in the postseason. The Patriots cannot afford to have their game messed with by the referees, and hopefully, that won't be a problem with Smith making the calls.
Throughout the 2025 season, Smith and his crew have called far more penalties on away teams, 107 to 80 on home teams, which certainly benefits the Patriots. The home teams have also won 80% of the games he has called, another factor that works in their favor.
The Patriots will have to take advantage of that and not give the officials any reason to call extra penalties, or go against their season-long pattern of penalizing away teams more.
They're already going to face a challenging task shutting down one of the most dominant defenses of the 2025 season, and they don't need to add the referees as a third team on the field. That has been a problem for them in some games this year, and that cannot become their reality in the one game separating them from the AFC Championship Game.