CBS Ties Sunday AFC Record For Broncos' Divisional Win; Fox Down For Panthers-'Hawks

CBS drew a 26.2 overnight rating for the Broncos' 23-16 win over the Steelers, tying it for the net's best Sunday Divisional round overnight rating since it began airing the AFC broadcast package in '98. Jets-Patriots in '11 also drew a 26.2 overnight. The late-window Broncos-Steelers game also is the highest-rated broadcast of the NFL season on any network and is up 3% over a 25.4 for Colts-Broncos in the same window last year. The rating for Broncos-Steelers also is up 4% from a 25.1 overnight for the Broncos' win over the Chargers in '14 in the late Sunday window. Meanwhile, Fox earned a 23.1 overnight for the Panthers' 31-24 win over the Seahawks in the early window yesterday. The Panthers led 31-0 at halftime, and the rating is down 12% from a 26.2 overnight in '15 for Packers-Cowboys. The overnight for Panthers-Seahawks is up 6% from a 21.8 rating in '14 for 49ers-Panthers in the early Sunday window. Finally, CBS earned a 19.7 overnight in the 4:30pm ET window Saturday for the Patriots' win over the Chiefs. That number is down 6% from a 20.9 overnight in the same window in '15, which featured Patriots-Ravens on NBC. 

HOUSE OF CARDS: NBC finished with 33.7 million viewers Saturday night for the Cardinals’ 26-20 OT win over the Packers. That number is up 9% over last year's Saturday primetime Divisional game -- Seahawks-Panthers -- which drew 31.0 million viewers on Fox (Josh Carpenter, Assistant Editor). 

PEACOCK STRUT: SI.com's Richard Deitsch wrote Cardinals-Packers on NBC was a "thrilling production to watch especially if you had no rooting interest, a broadcast crew living up to the magic of Aaron Rodgers and Larry Fitzgerald and repeated coin flips." Deitsch also noted the broadcast had him thinking "about what will happen for NBC's NFL coverage" following the end of Al Michaels' tenure as play-by-play announcer. Michaels is signed through the end of '17, so he is "not going anywhere soon." Deitsch: "Nor should he given his performance level." However, it will be a "huge hire and there is no one in-house who is a logical successor." It is a job neither Tom Hammond nor Dan Hicks, who "have called NFL games for NBC, will likely be offered." Some "legitimate possibilities" include ESPN's Mike Tirico, CBS' Ian Eagle and ESPN's Sean McDonough (SI.com, 1/17). In Tampa, Tom Jones writes it was the viewers' "luck that the NFL's best broadcast team" of Michaels and Cris Collinsworth had the "best playoff game of the weekend." Jones: "You don't want anyone else ... on the microphone for such a dramatic game." Having said that, CBS' duo of Eagle and Dan Fouts during Patriots-Chiefs "was outstanding." Eagle is "so good that it's wrong to say he is underrated." He "deserves to have his name up there with anyone in the business" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 1/18). 

FOX TROT: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes Fox' Troy Aikman yesterday had "mostly a strong game." He first noted how Panthers TE Greg Olsen’s block "took out the left side of the Seahawks’ line on Carolina’s first touchdown, then suggesting 'some kind of play action' on a late first-quarter third-and-inches." Panthers QB Cam Newton’s ensuing play-action pass to TE Ed Dickson "went for 16 yards" (N.Y. POST, 1/18). Meanwhile, play-by-play announcer Joe Buck earned credit on Twitter for predicting a third-quarter fake punt by the Seahawks. FS1's Mike Hill wrote, "Joe Buck on his game!! Called that fake." ESPN's Michael Wilbon: "Joe Buck calls the fake punt in real time." The Toronto Star's Bruce Arthur: "Full credit to Joe Buck, anticipating the fake punt" (TWITTER.com, 1/17).

PAGING BILLY PACKER: In N.Y., Bob Raissman writes Fox' Terry Bradshaw "finished the day with egg on his beard." With the Panthers up 31-0 at halftime, Bradshaw said, "There's nothing Seattle can do to get back in this football game." Host Curt Menefee asked, "So, everyone should turn their TV off?" Bradshaw replied, "Yeah." Raissman notes Menefee then "went into damage-control mode," as "millions of eyeballs were contemplating bailing on Fox's telecast." Menefee: "My gosh, there's another half of football to play." But Bradshaw replied, "I don't care. It (a Seattle comeback) is not going to happen." The Seahawks managed to score 24 straight points in the second half and had a chance to recover an onside kick with just over a minute remaining (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/18).

MARSHALL LAW: The N.Y. DAILY NEWS' Raissman writes Jets WR Brandon Marshall "was solid" on Saturday during his guest appearance on CBS' "The NFL Today." Raissman: "As we watched him work Saturday with the rest of the guys, one question entered what’s left of our mind: Whose seat on the panel will he eventually take?" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/18).

SPEAK YOUR MIND: NBC's Bob Costas indicated that there is "one thing he wished he could find the right time to say" during the net's NFL broadcasts. The DAILY NEWS' Raissman noted Costas would "begin by talking about the overwhelming popularity of the NFL." He would "speak of some of the class acts he’s met covering the games." And how, at its "best, the NFL is incredibly interesting and dramatic." Costas: “Having said that it’s a little much to take, while watching a game, that you are constantly bombarded with ‘Football is Family’ (commercials). Yeah, that’s right, the first thing I think of when I hear about 25% to 30%, by the NFL’s own admission, of its players will have cognitive difficulties is ‘Football is Family.’" He added, "When you see guys acting like creeps and criminals ... like in the Steelers-Bengals game where you can’t help but notice it, when you see the cynical thing that goes on between St. Louis and Los Angeles and San Diego; you see all this stuff and the first thing that comes to mind is NOT a Norman Rockwell painting. Yes, ‘Football is Family.' Bring out the hearts and the tinkling piano music because it really is a touching tableau" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/17).