CBS and NFL Network combined for a 13.0 overnight rating for the Ravens' 23-20 OT win over the Steelers on "Thursday Night Football," up 16% from an 11.2 rating for Giants-Redskins in Week 4 last season. Thursday's game peaked at a 14.7 rating between 11:30-11:45pm ET and won the night in primetime. Through three games in '15, "TNF" is averaging a 13.2 rating on CBS/NFLN, up 19% over this period last year (CBS).
JUST FOR KICKS: In Baltimore, David Zurawik writes he has "seen analysts reverse themselves plenty of times" during games, but "never in quite as confusing a fashion as Phil Simms seemed to do" in OT. When CBS' Jim Nantz wondered if the Steelers should try a 50-yard field goal, Simms referenced Steelers K Josh Scobee's earlier misses and asked, "Why would they? His confidence is shattered after the other two misses." A timeout was called "right after those words from Nantz with 9:45 left in the overtime period, and Simms came back out of nowhere." He said, “Let’s go into this. You know I like to coach from time to time. I’d kick it. I'd kick it." Zurawik: "You would definitely kick it, Phil? What happened to what you said 10 seconds ago when you asked why [Steelers coach Mike] Tomlin would kick it?" That moment "came to be the call of the game, and the first-string analyst from CBS brought only confusion to it." Zurawik: "I still have no idea what Simms really thought or how he could go from asking why they would kick to saying they should definitely do so in the space of 10 seconds. ... Based on the games I saw, overall, Simms is not having a great year." Otherwise, CBS "delivered a very strong telecast." Zurawik: "I’ll even forgive the 10,000 close-up sideline shots of an injured Ben Roethlisberger cheering for his team" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 10/2).
