NFL Week 6 Overnights: Chiefs-Patriots Thriller A Win For NBC

Last night's Chiefs-Patriots game tied for the best-ever Week 6 “SNF” game since NBC acquired rightsGETTY IMAGES

The Patriots’ last-second 43-40 victory over the Chiefs last night led to a ratings win for NBC, as the 14.6 overnight marked the best “SNF” overnight since Week 1 of the ’17 season. Last night’s number for NBC easily won the night in primetime and was up 34% from a 10.9 overnight in the Week 6 “SNF” matchup last year, which featured Giants-Broncos. Last night also marks the fifth straight week of double-digit percentage increases for “SNF” compared to ’17. The 14.6 for Chiefs-Patriots ties for the best-ever Week 6 “SNF” game since NBC acquired rights (Patriots-Colts in ’15). Last night’s game peaked at a 16.2 rating from 11:00-11:30pm ET. Meanwhile, CBS saw an increase for its regional window yesterday but experienced a dip in the national window despite the presence of the Cowboys. CBS drew a 12.0 rating in the 4:25pm window for the Cowboys’ 40-7 blowout of the Jaguars, down 14% from a 14.0 last year in Week 6 (Steelers-Chiefs). The Cowboys led 24-0 at halftime. CBS’ regional window yesterday drew a 9.0 overnight, up 6% from ’17. The net’s “The NFL Today” also saw an increase with a 2.4 rating, up 4% from last year. To date this season, CBS is averaging a 10.3 overnight for its NFL game coverage, up 1% from last year. Fox drew an 11.7 overnight rating for its singleheader coverage yesterday, up 18% over last year. The net also saw a 13% ratings increase for “Fox NFL Sunday” (Josh Carpenter, THE DAILY).

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FINDING THE RIGHT MATCHUP: NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King writes in the "avalanche of weekend TV shows previewing the NFL," the one that he watches every week that is "so valuable" is "NFL Matchup Show" on ESPN. The show is hosted by Sal Paolantonio and has two "very good out-of-the-shadows guys" in Greg Cosell and Matt Bowen "breaking down plays." It is "not overly wonky" and is "accessible to both serious fans and ones who simply ask why certain things happen in the game the way they do" (NBCSPORTS.com, 10/15).

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? In N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes the problem with it being "too early to tell" if the new "MNF" team of Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten and Booger McFarland will "be any good is that it isn't that early." They "make an awful lot of noise," and their habit of "see-it/say-it is followed by needless, three-man tack-on talk, standard modern excess." Mushnick: "How do TV networks prevail upon their top announcers to speak less because, after all, it's TV?" (N.Y. POST, 10/14). THE ATHLETIC's Richard Deitsch writes if ESPN is "committed to this announcing group," the net should "bring McFarland into the booth." That would give the trio the "best chance" of "forming on-air chemistry." The "only way that can happen is if each person is next to each other" so they can "read non-verbal Q's, etc" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/15).

LOSING A STEP? THE ATHLETIC's Steve Berman wrote Raiders radio play-by-play man Brent Musburger is "so uniquely mismatched to his new role" that Raiders games radio broadcasts are "veritable brain teasers." Musburger's voice is "still quite robust, and has to be one of the reasons" he was given a three-year deal. But Musburger calls the games as if listeners "can see the action on TV, leaving analyst Lincoln Kennedy to fill in the gaps." But the two have "so little chemistry" that they "tend to trample over one another." Musburger calls the games with his "familiar voice and tone, but the words don't really paint a picture one could ascertain from reading the play-by-play version of an online box score" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/12).