ESPN's "MNF" Overnight Up 43% Despite Patriots' Blowout Win Over Texans

ESPN earned a 10.0 overnight Nielsen rating for the Patriots' 42-14 win over the Texans on "MNF" last night, up 43% from a 7.0 overnight for Rams-Seahawks in Week 14 last year, and up 15% from an 8.7 for Ravens-Texans in '10. Last night's game peaked at an 11.8 rating in both the 9:15-9:30pm ET and 9:45-10:00pm quarter-hours. In Houston, the game earned a 12.9 local rating on ESPN and a 21.7 rating on KHOU-CBS. In Boston, the game earned a 13.5 local rating on ESPN and a 25.6 rating on WCVB-ABC (THE DAILY).

LOOKING AHEAD: Next week's "MNF" game features Jets-Titans, and in N.Y., Bob Raissman writes despite both teams sporting losing records, ESPN execs should "not be concerned about being stuck" with the matchup. By the end of the week, some "new and unusual storyline will materialize" around the Jets, giving "all interested parties something to dig into." That has become "business as usual for the Jets." There always is "another week to rant about how the Jets won’t make the playoffs, which provides a segue to [Owner] Woody Johnson’s hit list." It will "only get better when ESPN starts throwing its promotional weight behind the game." Raissman: "As bad as Monday’s game looks going in, it will be talked about, ad nauseam. The Jets have enough built-in controversy to make that happen" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/11).