The identity of the man who will be in charge of the AFC Championship between the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs has been unveiled, and it is someone the Bengals are pretty familiar with this season.
Bill Vinovich, one of the top officials in the game, will be in Kansas City to call the game. According to Football Zebras, Vinovich will be the first referee since Jerry Markbreit from 1989-1996 to work either a conference championship or a Super Bowl in seven out of eight postseasons.
The certified public accountant from Lake Forest, CA has been a referee for 13 seasons and an official for 16 seasons. This will be Vinovich’s 16th postseason assignment and his sixth conference championship. He has also worked three wild card playoffs, five divisional playoffs and two Super Bowls (XLIX and LIV).
Vinovich has worked three Bengals games this season: Week 5 against the Packers, Week 12 against the Steelers and Week 18 against the Browns.
Road teams went 9-7 in the regular season under Vinovich’s watch. The Bengals were 1-2 in the three games in which they had him, the win being in Week 12 against the Steelers. Of course, the Bengals didn’t play their starters much in Week 18 and came very close to knocking off the Packers.
The rest of the crew for Sunday’s AFC tilt:
- Umpire – Fred Bryan
- Down Judge – Ed Camp
- Line Judge – Jeff Seeman
- Field Judge – Mearl Robinson
- Side Judge – Jonah Monroe
- Back Judge – Greg Meyer
- Replay Official – Mark Butterworth
- Replay Assistant – Larry Hanson
There will also be an alternate for each on-field position. The alternate referee will be Shawn Hochuli, who just worked the Buccaneers-Rams Divisional Playoff.
Carl Cheffers, who has also worked two Super Bowls (LI and LV) will officiate the NFC Championship between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers and Clete Blakeman, who just worked Bengals-Titans, will be the alternate referee.
