NFL SCHEDULE CHANGE 2013 2014: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears flexed to NBC’s Sunday Night Football in Week 16
Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles and Marc Trestman’s Chicago Bears have emerged as two of the more entertaining teams in the league, late this season.
The NFL acknowledged as much today, announcing that the Week 16 Bears at Eagles game on December 22 will be flexed to 7:30 p.m. CT on NBC. That tilt will replace the New England Patriots-Baltimore Ravens game, which will move to 3:25 p.m. CT on CBS.
It’s a minor surprise that two traditional AFC powerhouses are being displaced, but this change is a nod to the potential ratings edge of two fresh teams with innovative offenses. There’s also the possibility of the Eagles or Bears clinching the NFC East and NFC North respectively.
Both games are attractive matchups. The big winner might just be CBS, which is granted the premier AFC battle of the afternoon.
If the NFC East isn’t decided until the season finale, the Eagles could find themselves being flexed into the Sunday night game in back-to-back weeks.
Get your popcorn ready.
TV NETWORK GOLD: America’s Team still rules the television airwaves
Final viewership numbers for the Dallas Cowboys season ending loss to the Washington Redskins arrived Thursday morning. The Sunday night game on NBC was the most watched of the NFL season. It drew 30.3 million viewers.
In fact, it was the most-watched regular-season game on television in 16 years. The Green Bay Packers-Cowboys game on ABC was watched by 31.5 million viewers on Nov. 18, 1996.
The Cowboys may have finished their season 8-8 and out of the playoffs, but they hit a ratings grand slam. The Dallas Cowboys played in the most-watched game on all four of the NFL’s network partners.
Here’s the rundown:
| ESPN | Bears vs. Cowboys | Oct. 1 | 16.6 million |
| FOX | Redskins vs. Cowboys | Nov. 22 | 28.7 million |
| CBS | Steelers vs. Cowboys | Dec. 16 | 26.9 million |
| NBC | Cowboys vs.Redskins | Dec. 30 | 30.3 million |
FICKLE FANS: Dallas Cowboys 16-10 win over Tampa Bay one of worst-rated games in recent memory
Cowboys-Buccaneers earned a 28.5 rating in Dallas-Fort Worth, making it the lowest rated, non-Christmas-day regular-season Sunday afternoon game of the last two seasons. The 28.5 on KDFW (Channel 4) translates into 737,580 homes.
The game peaked at a 33.2 (859,216 homes) from 3 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
For what it’s worth, the Rangers-Mariners began at 3:10 p.m. with a rating for that first quarter hour of 0.4 (11,400 homes). The Rangers audience built from there and finished with a 4.5 average (116,460 homes).
EDITORS RANT: Someday, Dallas area fans may discover the “12th Man” concept. Traditionally, the crowds at Dallas Cowboy games are among the quietest in the league. Pathetic. The Dallas Cowboys are taken for granted, in many cases. NFL fans in other major markets would LOVE to have the ‘boys in their backyard! I’d like to see people filling the seats that are willing to actually stand up and raise their voices! It’s not a ‘who’s who’ or a corporate board room … it’s a GAME!
Texas has always prided itself as being the ‘biggest and the best”. You have the biggest and best stadium in the country! You have a franchise respected around the world. Why don’t we hear some Texas-sized loud mouthed hell raising? This should be the loudest stadium in the country. Wake up. Who knows, you might even get seen on the big screen!
Other teams view Cowboys Stadium as THEIR home turf! Doesn’t that bother you?
AMERICA’S WATCHING: NFL flexes Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants into primetime
The only game with a win-and-you’re-in scenario for both teams in the final week is the Giants-Cowboys. Because of that, the game has been flexed to NBC’s Sunday Night Football with kickoff scheduled for 7:20 p.m.
The NFL made the decision, which means FOX got neither one of the Giants-Cowboys games. The Broncos-Chiefs game could have implications on the AFC West winner, but Denver could win it before the game is even played if the Raiders lose.
Another game of interest could have been the Ravens at Bengals, with the Bengals chasing a wild-card berth and the Ravens hoping to clinch the AFC North. But the Giants-Cowboys game was the no-brainer pick.
The Cowboys are the top ratings draw. NBC’s top six games are Cowboys games, and four of those are against the Giants.
DALLAS COWBOYS RADIO NETWORK: Watch on TV, listen to Brad Sham, ‘the voice of the Dallas Cowboys’ and Babe Laufenberg
Now, from within The Boys Are Back (A blog for TRUE BLUE fans of the Dallas Cowboys) … you can LISTEN LIVE to Dallas area sports broadcasts while you read, browse, or work around the house.
You can also catch Dallas Cowboys talk shows, commentary, pregame/postgame interviews, analysis, and daily/weekly shows with some of the key players and coaches of America’s Team.
Listen Live to: The Fan 105.3 Dallas (KRLD) …
Flagship of The Dallas Cowboys Radio Network!
Listen to ‘the voice of the Dallas Cowboys’ Brad Sham, with Babe Laufenberg!
After the game:
Listen to live analysis and interviews from players, coaches, and Jerry Jones.
NOTE:
If you live in or around Dallas/Ft. Worth broadcast area, tune to
The Fan 105.3 KRLD-FM on your radio.
If you live anywhere else in America,
click HERE to see if you have a local station teamed up with
The Dallas Cowboy Radio Network.
After the game:
Everyone can click on the 105.3 The FAN button above to listen online to the postgame show!
Note: By NFL rule, National Football League games cannot be broadcast live online without exclusive rights agreements.
HEADS UP: Al Michaels chats with Rob Ryan tonight on NBC’s Sunday Night Football pre-game show
- Dallas Cowboys DC Rob Ryan
Here’s a heads-up for The Boys Are Back blog readers. NBC’s Al Michaels will chat with Dallas Cowboy defensive coordinator Rob Ryan tonight on the SNF pre-game show.
Here’s an advance look:
MICHAELS on Ryan’s father, Buddy, having been the head coach in Philadelphia and Arizona, both Cowboys rivals: What was his initial reaction when you got the job in Dallas?
ROB RYAN: Disbelief. He was a little shocked by it. He’s like, ‘you’ve got all these other things going. Why here?’ I’m like, ‘Dad, it’s the best opportunity for me.’ It really has worked out great.
MICHAELS: What’s made the difference this year?
ROB RYAN: Well, me. [joking; laughter]. Honestly, starting over with some Pro Bowl football players. All these guys have been in the Pro Bowl and deservedly so. We got all together and have been working hard ever since. We’re not all the way there yet but we’re playing good ball and we’re going to keep doing it.
MICHAELS: You’ve been an assistant coach for 25 years, 10 different places, but no head coaching opportunity yet. Does that eat at you?
ROB RYAN: I don’t think it’s going to eat much further. My chance will come. It only took my dad 25 years and, hell, he’s better than me and Rex put together. Those things happen. I’m not sure how it will go but eventually I’ll get my chance to be a head coach.
* * * * * * * * * *
ROB RYAN on his war of words with Eagles WR Desean Jackson earlier this year:
That was kind of annoying because we signed three great players the day before, so I’m bragging about those guys and all I’m hearing about is all these great players that Philadelphia had signed. It bothered me because I thought it was disrespecting the players that I coach and that I knew would be great for us.
ROB RYAN on Jackson saying, ‘Maybe I can run on the sideline and tackle the coach’ and Ryan responding that he’ll fall on him:
There’s no question. Is he a good enough athlete to get it done? Absolutely. Am I a bad enough athlete to get tackled by a small guy? Sure. But I am going to fall on him. So I welcome the challenge. [joking] If he wants to come hit me … beautiful. A little guy like that not’s going to hit that hard anyway. It would be fun to beat these guys. There’s no question. They have a ton of talent over there. They’re the fastest team I’ve ever seen on offense but I always believe in hitting them in the mouth. We’ll see what happens.”
Courtesy: NBC Sports | DMN | The Boys Are Back blog
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Ratings: Dallas Cowboys 36.4, Washington Redskins 35.0
The local numbers for Monday Night Football are in and the Cowboys eked out victory there as well.
In Dallas-Fort Worth, the Cowboys’ victory scored a 20.4 on ESPN and a 16.0 on Channel 21.
In Washington, the Redskins loss scored a 22.4 on ESPN and a 12.6 on the local independent.
The combined 36.4 rating in DFW translates into about 936,000 homes. The combined 35.0 in Washington translates into 826,000 homes.
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