In just a few hours, the Denver Broncos will host the Buffalo Bills for the NFL Divisional Round matchup. With that, we’ll kick off the weekend with four matchups that will decide who gets to compete for the Conference Championships next Sunday.
Needless to say, every detail related to the Divisional Round games will matter. The broadcasters have picked their best announcers, teams will put their best players on the field, and the same is expected from the referees for the game.
However, an X page dedicated to the NFL referees pointed out something that might scare the Broncos fans. The crew chief of the referees for the Bills vs Broncos matchup is Carl Cheffers. Before we get into why some fans are claiming this to be a problem, let’s take a look at the complete list.
| Position | Referee |
| Referee/Crew Chief | Carl Cheffers |
| Umpire | Mark Pellis |
| Down Judge | Jerod Phillips |
| Line Judge | Rusty Baynes |
| Field Judge | Jabir Walker |
| Side Judge | Allen Baynes |
| Back Judge | Scott Helverson |
The problem here, as per some fans, is that Cheffers seems to be the lucky charm for Josh Allen and the Bills. Allen has been undefeated every time Cheffers has been at the helm of refereeing during his games.
The Bills quarterback holds a perfect 5-0 record. To make it sting a little more for the Broncos fans, Allen had entered every game as an underdog.
It’s possible that Allen and the Bills simply outplayed their opponents in those five games and won fairly. But the refereeing has been a longstanding topic of discussion among NFL fans, and it’s impossible to convince them otherwise.
Interestingly, another fan outlined that the Broncos have also won four of their five games officiated by Cheffers. If the fans have already made up their minds, whatever the outcome is and how fairly it was reached, they will find a reason to allege bias.
Injury Report for the NFL Divisional Round Matchup Between the Bills and the Broncos
Both teams have two players each listed as ‘Out’ for the next game. However, the Broncos will enter the game with an overall healthier team. Here’s the injury report for the Denver Broncos:
- LB Drew Sanders (ankle): OUT
- TE Lucas Krull (foot): OUT
- DL John Franklin-Myers (hip): Expected to play
- LB Dre Greenlaw (hamstring): Expected to play
None of the players on the Broncos roster are questionable for the game, which gives them an advantage over the struggling Bills.
- S Jordan Poyer (hamstring): OUT
- CB Maxwell Hairston (hamstring): OUT
- LB Terrel Bernard (calf): Questionable
- S Damar Hamlin (pectoral/ IR): Questionable
- RB Ty Johnson (ankle): Questionable
- DT Ed Oliver (bicep/ IR): Questionable
- WR Curtis Samuel (elbow/IR): Questionable
- QB Josh Allen (foot/ knee/ finger): Expected to play
- K Matt Prater (quad/ calf): Expected to play
- TE Dalton Kincaid (knee/ calf): Expected to play
- DE AJ Epenesa (neck): Expected to play
- LB Matt Milano (ankle): Expected to play
- DE Greg Rousseau (back): Expected to play
- LB Shaq Thompson (neck): Expected to play
Fortunately, the Bills will have their most lethal offensive weapon, Josh Allen. The quarterback has had multiple injuries throughout the season, but he’s been cleared to play today.
Read More:
NFL Divisional Round Announcers: Full List of Broadcast Crew for Every Playoff Game
Amid Future Speculation, Mike Tomlin Makes Public Appearance for Heartwarming Reason
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