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Who are the referees for the NFC championship game? Eagles-Commanders officiating crew

Farmers, retail workers, dispatchers, custodians, referees.

There are plenty of thankless jobs in the world, most of which typically fly under the radar. You never get to see the people that grow the produce that ends up in the supermarket. You don't always get to see the people that keep society from falling apart. The ones that collect the garbage and recycling spare us from the stench in addition to keeping our streets sanitary.

Referees in the NFL are always front and center. We know the faces, the voices, the mannerisms.

In many ways, they represent what most of the world despises – rule followers and people in positions of power. They can easily impact the outcome of games and human error is a certainty.

As a fan, there may be nothing worse than seeing a certain referee and knowing you're in for a long day.

Here's a look at whether Eagles and Commanders fans will feel that way when they meet in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

Who is the referee for the NFC championship game?

Shawn Hochuli is the referee for the NFC championship game between the Eagles and Commanders.

This will be Hochuli's second game of the year for both teams.

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Eagles record with Shawn Hochuli's officiating crew (since 2021)

Since Jalen Hurts took over as a full-time starter for the Eagles in 2021, Hochuli has refereed six games involving Philadelphia. The Eagles are a perfect 6-0 in those games.

His most recent outing with the birds came back in Week 6, when the Eagles beat the Browns, 20-16.

Hochuli's crew tossed 12 flags during the game. Cleveland owned a 7-5 advantage in that department, with all seven accepted penalties costing them 55 yards to just 45 for Philadelphia.

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Commanders record with Shawn Hochuli's officiating crew (since 2024)

Since Jayden Daniels took over as the Commanders' starter this season, it would be a little misleading to take a look at stats beyond this season. While Washington won their only game with Hochuli patrolling the field, it didn't come without controversy.

The Week 15 matchup, which saw the Commanders escape with a 20-19 victory over the Saints, involved a late-game error that nearly cost Washington the win. New Orleans was driving for the tie and watched as Spencer Rattler connected with Foster Moreau on a catch that put them at the one-yard line.

With nine seconds left, the official ran in and stopped the clock momentarily, which allowed the Saints enough time to run another play. They scored and opted to go for two instead of kicking the game-tying field goal.

Washington got the stop, but the clock might've run out had it not been stopped.

Shawn Hochuli officiating crew 2024 statistics

Fans that hate to see flag-filled games won't be happy to see Hochuli's crew.

They have tossed the third-most flags per game this season, 17.13, trailing just Clete Blakeman and Craig Wrolstad, according to NFLpenalties.com.

Home teams enjoy a slight advantage, being flagged 6.75 times per game while the road side checks in with 7.06 infractions.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFC championship game referees: Eagles vs. Commanders officiating crew