The 2026 NFL Playoffs kick off on Saturday when the Carolina Panthers host the Los Angeles Rams. The game gets underway at 4:30 p.m. ET and Clete Blakeman will be the referee leading the officiating crew at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.
The Panthers get to host the game as winners of the NFC South with the No. 4 seed. It wasn’t pretty and their 8-9 record means they join the short list of teams that have reached the playoffs with a losing record. They lost to the Bucs on the final Saturday of the season, but in spite of a losing their final two games, they managed to clinch the division thanks to the Falcons beating the Saints.
They face a Rams squad that came up with the short end of the stick in a difficult NFC West. The Rams finished 12-5, which was tied for the second best record in the conference. However, the Seahawks finished 13-4 and so LA has to go on the road to open the playoffs as the No. 5 seed. Not surprisingly, the Rams are sizable favorites, with FanDuel installing them at -10.5.
Carolina will need a lot to go their way if they want to spring the home upset in the playoff opener. That might include some hometown cooking from the officials. NFL referees are expected to be neutral at all times, but home crowds can sometimes influence calls.
This is Blakeman’s 16th playoff assignment. His most notable assignment was lead referee at Super Bowl 50. Coincidentally enough, that game featured the Cam Newton-led Panthers lose 24-10 to Peyton Manning and the Broncos.
Here’s a look at the full crew for Saturday’s Rams-Panthers game.
Rams-Panthers officiating crew
Referee: Clete Blakeman
Umpire: Scott Campbell
Down judge: Mike Carr
Line judge: Tripp Sutter
Field judge: Sean Petty
Side judge: Don Willard
Back judge: Dino Paganelli
Replay official: Tyler Cerimeli
Replay assistant: Desiree Adams
Alternate Referee: Alex Moore
Alternate umpire: Mark Pellis
Alternate down judge: Derick Bowers
Alternate field judge: Jabir Walker
Alternate back judge: Jonah Monroe
