New Patriots QB Cam Newton has been "must-watch TV since arriving in Foxborough, and it’s clear the NFL and the networks have taken notice," as the team's home game against the 0-3 Broncos on Oct. 11 has been moved from the 1:00pm ET window to the 4:25pm slot on CBS, according to Jim McBride of the BOSTON GLOBE. That means the Patriots will "play three straight games in the late afternoon." The Patriots will not play a 1:00pm game until Nov. 1 in Buffalo, and the team will play four of its final nine games in the "prime-time slot" (BOSTON GLOBE, 9/29).
QB BOOST: In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal reports Chicago-area WFLD-FOX's Sunday broadcast of the Bears' 30-26 road victory over the Falcons "averaged a season-high 24.6 household rating in their home market." Ratings "surged late" when QB Nick Foles "came off the bench and led the Bears on a 20-0 run to overtake the Falcons for the victory," which lifted them to 3-0 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/29). Fox’ Kenny Albert “finally returned to active duty” on Sunday after being in quarantine "because he came to Detroit from Canada" for the Bears' opener. This means that Fox’ Jonathan Vilma was working with his third play-by-play announcer in as many weeks. The TRIBUNE's Rosenthal writes there is “room for improvement” for Vilma, and maybe “getting to work consistently with Albert will help” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 9/28).
NOT BAD FOR NO. SIX: In Buffalo, Alan Pergament writes Sunday's Rams-Bills was "such an exciting game that it was unfortunate that one of Fox’s top announcing crews wasn’t on hand rather than the last of its six regular teams." Still, considering where the broadcast crew of Chris Myers and analysts Brock Huard and Greg Jennings ranks at Fox, it was a "good -- but not great -- broadcast." Fox "clearly doesn’t need three men in the booth," although that "could be its way of helping Jennings, who is a relatively inexperienced analyst, and Huard adjust to calling NFL games." Jennings "deserves some patience," as he "made a couple of smart comments." Huard, meanwhile, "says some obvious things, but he is a strong analyst" (BUFFALO NEWS, 9/29).
