By the NFL's way of thinking, the officials working its divisional playoff round were the best in the league this season. The sum of their weekly grades put them in the top tier of their peers, making them eligible both for this weekend's games and for Super Bowl LI in Houston.
We should learn in the next two weeks which officials will receive that honor. In the meantime, let's take a closer look at the four referees. They will work with similarly highly graded crew members, meaning that some of their regular-season trends could be less relevant. But the referee sets the tone for every crew.