CBS’ national window yesterday, which featured Steelers-Broncos, drew the highest rating among NFL windows with a 15.9 overnight rating. Last year, Fox had the Week 15 national window, drawing a 16.8 overnight for a telecast that featured 49ers-Seahawks. Meanwhile, Fox drew a 15.3 overnight yesterday for its singleheader coverage, which featured Panthers-Giants. That is the net’s best for an NFL singleheader since ’98 and the best for any singleheader on any net since ’10. NBC last night drew an 11.7 overnight for the Cardinals’ 40-17 win over the Eagles, marking a tie for the net’s lowest NFL game rating this season to date. Cardinals-Eagles also is down 21.5% from a 14.9 for Cowboys-Eagles in Week 15 last year. “SNF” still delivered NBC a primetime win among all nets. Phoenix led all markets last night with a 30.7 local rating, followed by Philadelphia with a 30.4 (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
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NFL WEEK 15 SUNDAY OVERNIGHT RATINGS
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NET
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'15 TELECAST
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RAT.
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'14 NET
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'14 TELECAST
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RAT.
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Fox
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(single)
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15.3
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CBS
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(single)
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12.3
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CBS
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(regional)
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7.9
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Fox
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(regional)
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11.0
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CBS
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Steelers-Broncos (86%)
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15.9
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Fox
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49ers-Seahawks (84%)
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16.8
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NBC
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Cowboys-Eagles
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11.7
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NBC
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Cowboys-Eagles
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14.9
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LOSING CONTROL: In N.Y., Bob Raissman notes during the first half of Panthers-Giants and WR Odell Beckham Jr.'s "embarrassing meltdown," Fox' Joe Buck and Troy Aikman "vividly described a player who had lost control." The net in the third quarter "aired a shot of Beckham in a contentious verbal exchange with receivers coach Sean Ryan." Buck said, "I’m shocked (coach) Tom Coughlin is not a part of that conversation." Raissman notes Fox "kept its camera on Beckham," who was "walking along the bench, ranting at teammates, most whose eyes were focused on the ground." Aikman said, "I'm with you Joe. We both think a lot of Tom Coughlin and the way he runs a program. I'm just really surprised that he really hasn't done more with Odell Beckham." Raissman writes no matter how great Beckham turns out to be, it "will be hard forgetting the way he not only embarrassed himself but Coughlin too on national television" (
N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/21). FS1's
Mike Garafolo asked, "How Coughlin hasn't taken Beckham out of this game, at least for a few plays, is beyond me." MMQB's
Peter King: "Someone needed to take Odell Beckham out of Sunday's game. If not the officials, then Tom Coughlin." But ESPN's
Damien Woody wrote, "Let’s be real….how many coaches in Coughlin’s position would BENCH OBJ during the game?!" (
TWITTER.com, 12/21).
RAP BATTLE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport yesterday on "NFL GameDay Morning" reported Broncos QB Peyton Manning "really does not want to be a backup, which is no surprise (and) something the Broncos know." SI.com's Richard Deitsch noted Rapoport's report "prompted a response" from Broncos Exec VP/Football Operations & GM John Elway. He tweeted, "Peyton has never told (coach) Gary (Kubiak) or myself that he doesn't want to be the backup. Any report or rumor that suggests otherwise is incorrect!!" Rapoport responded via Twitter, "That is a very specific tweet. What I do know is that there are plenty of people who know that Peyton does not want to be the backup. Now, from what I understand it’s not like he’s issued an ultimatum I’m either the starter or else, but it is something he clearly he would not be comfortable with" (SI.com, 12/20). Manning said of the report, "It's a flat-out lie. It's insulting. And it's distracting. That's 100 percent bull----. No. 1, it is bull----. And No. 2, it's insulting. The worst part about being hurt is that a lot of people seem to know everything about you and speak for you, even when it's somebody you don't even know" (DENVER POST, 12/21).
CHIEF OBSERVATION: In Baltimore, David Zurawik wrote CBS' Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon, as well as the rest of the broadcast team, "delivered a respectable telecast" during Chiefs-Ravens. One of the best things about the production itself "was the neat and tidy visual recaps CBS gave viewers of what went wrong for the Ravens." It was a "nicely produced reel of lowlights that succinctly told the story of the game." The camera work "was both good and honest for the most part." Zurawik: "Good in that I was close enough to the field to feel connected. Honest in that CBS showed all the empty seats at M&T Bank Stadium. They weren’t trying to hide anything from the viewers to make the NFL and the Ravens look better" (BALTIMORESUN.com, 12/20).
SATURDAY NIGHT'S ALRIGHT: In Dallas, Barry Horn wrote the Cowboys "were almost ready for prime time this season," as all five of their national TV appearances "went down to the wire." Horn: "If you were willing to stay up late, they rewarded you with five close games (DALLASNEWS.com, 12/20).
