NFL Week 11 Overnights: Fox Leads With Packers-Vikings; Other Windows Down

Fox led all Week 11 NFL overnights with a 17.2 rating for Packers-Vikings in yesterday’s late-afternoon national window. The overnight for Packers-Vikings is up 1% from a 17.1 for Eagles-Packers in Week 11 last year, which aired in 84% of markets. Meanwhile, NBC earned an 11.7 overnight for the Cardinals’ last-second win over the Bengals last night, marking the lowest "SNF" overnight to date this season. Bengals-Cardinals is also down 14% from a 13.6 rating for the comparable Patriots-Colts matchup last year. CBS drew an 11.0 overnight for its early singleheader window yesterday, down 6% from an 11.7 last year. Finally, Fox drew a 9.7 rating for its regional early window, off 4% from a 10.1 in the same time slot last year (Josh Carpenter, Assistant Editor). 

BOOTH REVIEWS: In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes CBS during the Jets-Texans game yesterday showed pictures of a "groggy, stumble-bumming" Jets QB Ryan Fitzpatrick attempting to "make his way to the sidelines." The net "provided visual evidence" Fitzpatrick might have suffered a concussion when it aired "two doctor shots." One featured two doctors "asking Fitzpatrick questions, presumably to see if he had concussion symptoms, while he was sitting on the bench." Analyst Rich Gannon said it seemed Fitzpatrick "had all the right answers." Raissman: "Gannon is one of the best analysts in the business, but how he knew what answers Fitzpatrick provided is still a mystery to us" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/23). Also in N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes CBS' Kevin Harlan, who called Jets-Texans with Gannon, "despite the clichés ... ain’t half-bad since he cut back on the hollerin'" (N.Y. POST, 11/23). Meanwhile, in Baltimore, David Zurawik wrote Fox' telecast of the Ravens' 16-13 victory over the Rams "wasn’t as sloppy as the play on the field," but it "wasn’t all that much better either." Zurawik: "We saw a crew come back from halftime and seem to totally lose its focus." What analyst Daryl Johnston "did well most of the afternoon was explain what was working and what wasn’t without making it overly technical." The best thing Fox did all day in connection with the Ravens and Rams "didn’t happen in Baltimore or during the game." It instead came during the postgame studio show, when analyst Michael Strahan "started the ball rolling by questioning" why Rams QB Case Keenum "was on the field at the end of the game after stumbling around in the closing minute after his head hit the turf" (BALTIMORESUN, 11/22).

TOO SOON? In DC, Cindy Boren wrote recently fired Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan "was in full Ryan brothers mode" during a guest appearance on NFL Network's pregame show yesterday, but at one point he "went a bit too far." Talking about the Saints' league-worst defense, Ryan said, "Everything in New Orleans is being blamed on me, including Katrina. I think they're a little far-fetched." Boren: "Whoa. Too soon, Rob" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 11/22). In New Orleans, Christopher Dabe wrote Ryan "probably could have made his point without" the Hurricane Katrina reference. However, Ryan's "wit hasn't changed," as he "drew laughs" when talking about the Saints' lopsided loss to the Redskins last week (NOLA.com, 11/22). The DAILY NEWS' Raissman writes Ryan "didn’t exactly light up the set" filling in for an injured Kurt Warner. Outside of the Katrina line, Ryan "didn't bring much to the table" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 11/23).

I NEED MORE COWBOY: SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted the Cowboys indisputably "are the most popular television team in pro football," as well as one of the few NFL teams that "guarantee television viewership, especially for national games." Fox yesterday at 3:13pm ET "flexed out" of Redskins-Panthers (outside of their specific markets) to the Cowboys-Dolphins game. Redskins-Panthers initially aired in about 65% of the nation, but Fox said that when that game became a blowout, it "flexed 50% of that audience to the Cowboys" (SI.com, 11/22). In Dallas, Barry Horn writes CBS on Thanksgiving afternoon "has America's Team against what may be America's best team in the main course." Horn: "Write this in three-inch headlines: The Cowboys-Panthers will have the largest television audience of the NFL season" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 11/23).

DANCE LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING: In Buffalo, Alan Pergament wrote WKBW-ABC tonight "is pre-empting ABC’s network schedule" -- which includes the “Dancing with the Stars” performance finale -- to simulcast the Bills-Patriots "MNF" matchup. WKBW GM Mike Nurse "tried repeatedly to get ABC to allow the station to carry 'Dancing' as scheduled on one of its digital channels." But he said that the net "declined the requests to put it on a channel available to about" 70% of Western New York households. The local ABC affiliate "will carry the two-hour 'Dancing' on delay" at 1:00am ET "to allow viewers to DVR it" (BUFFALO NEWS, 11/22).