The AFC Championship Game is poised to showcase the No. 1 seed Baltimore Ravens against the No. 3 seed Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, featuring an intriguing officiating crew.
NFL analyst Warren Sharp is shedding light on the officiating crew for the Ravens vs. Chiefs game, emphasizing its recent tendency to strongly favor the road team.
Sharp suggests that the league may have particular preferences, potentially wanting to see the Chiefs, and notably Taylor Swift, advance to the Super Bowl.
“The NFL pushed the panic button ? They have a ref in their rotation who is a MASSIVE edge to road teams Road teams win at the #1 highest rate with him… He penalizes home teams in ways no other ref does… and… He’s calling the Chiefs road game,” Sharp wrote.
According to Sharp, a ref in the rotation named Shawn Smith significantly tips the scales in favor of road teams, with the highest win rate. Smith reportedly penalizes home teams in unique ways, contributing to a slightly better than 40 percent win rate for home teams in games called by him over the past couple of seasons. The question arises: will this trend change in the crucial Sunday matchup?
With the Chiefs and Taylor Swift drawing considerable attention to the league, fans are eager to see how officiating unfolds on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on CBS, and the victorious team will contend with either the Lions or 49ers in the Super Bowl.
