Let’s preview the 2025 divisional playoff crews

The post season seems to be getting faster and faster each year. We kick off the divisional playoff weekend with some observations on the crews.

Super Bowl officials come from this round?

Typically the Super Bowl officials work a divisional playoff game. So if you want to read the tea leaves you can make predictions for the Super Bowl crew. But, officiating boss Ramon George has been switching things up. Last year the Super Bowl umpire, Mike Morton, didn’t work a divisional playoff – he worked a conference championship game and turned right around and worked the Super Bowl.

So while many of the Super Bowl officials still come out of the divisional round, it is not a hard-and-fast rule anymore.

Congratulations first timers!

Umpire Scott Walker and line judge Brian Perry work their first playoff game in their second season – their first season eligible for a playoff game. If you believe what officials and others tell us, the officials’ ratings are so close and competitive, getting a playoff game is a real honor. And Walker and Perry get that honor in their second year – and in a divisional playoff round no less.

Walker will work the Texans – Patriots game on Sunday, and Perry will also work Sunday’s Rams – Bears tilt.

Great games and quiet on the officiating front so far

Four out of the six wild card games last weekend were classics. And while teams celebrated victory or mourned the end of the season, the officials went largely unnoticed – and that’s just the way they like it.

No grousing about bad calls. No one call that knocked the president off the front page. Oh yes, there was a squawk about a spot here, or a hold there, but that happens every weekend. The wild card round was a great round for the officials and I’m sure the divisional round officials hope for the same.

Many quality officials will not get a playoff

Only three more officiating assignments to go. And there are more than three quality officials at each position. Someone will have to settle for an alternate assignment this year, or no assignment at all.

It is a good problem for the NFL to have too many good officials and not enough playoff assignments, but it is hard for an official to sit at home and not enjoy a post-season reward. Many times it is not a reflection on the official, it is a simple numbers game.

Enjoy the divisional playoff weekend! Only three more NFL games (and one college football game) to go after Sunday night.