All Right, Let's Catch Up: 2017 Week Four Score Report

All right, as we've started Week Five and the world appears just on the brink of completely falling apart...

• 44.6875 was the per-game average for Week Four.  Last year:  45.07, Two Years Ago:  43.03
• This brings the 63 currently-played games to an average of 44.016.  Last year, 45.54, Two Years Ago:  46.25
• After winning only 2 of the first 9 non-London games this week, home teams rallied to go 7-8.  33-28 for the year.  Last year:  7-7 for 34-28.  Two years ago:  9-5 for a .565 winning percentage at home.
• Over was 9-7, including 4 of the last 5.  29-30-4 for the year.  Last year:  8-7 for 34-28.  Two years ago, 5-9 and about .500.
• Another tough week for favorites:  7-9 against the number, only 9-7 straight up.  That's 26-37 ATS and 38-25 SU.  (Last year, 7-6 both ways for 27-29 ATS and 32-24 SU)
• Team with more penalties was 8-7 in Week Four, with one game tied in penalties.  The team with more penalties is an exact .500 now for the year:  29-29-5.  Last year, 8-5 for 25-31.
• Six more non-competitive games this week for 25 for the year out of 63 played.  About 40% of all NFL games so far this year have not once gotten 8 points or within in margin in the 4th quarter.  Last year, it took until Week 7 to get that far (had 4 for a total of 16 in four weeks).  Two years ago, Week 5 (had 21 through four weeks).
• Monday night had a bizarre situation that only has occurred once since I began tracking about five years or so ago:  A Cliffhanger that, because of another score (defensive in this case), the Chiefs won by more than 8 points.  Hence, a Cliffhanger, but no margin within 8. That was the only game not to be within 8 at the end that was within 8 at some point in the fourth quarter.
• Oh, and by the way:  That defensive score?  Got both the Chiefs (the favorites) and the over to cover.  (Chiefs were -6.5 at 48 -- final margin was 9 and the total was 49!)
• This meant 9 of the 16 games in Week Four ended within 8 points or at 8.  That's 29 for the year out of the 63, about 45%.  
• Total of five Cliffhangers (two FG's at the gun solo (Tampa and Carolina), and three doubles (the aforementioned Chiefs mess, two overtime scores in Arizona with the Cardinals beating the 49ers, and the Jets beating Jacksonville with a field goal in the 10-minute session after the Jags tied it with one at 44 seconds.
• Twelve total Cliffhangers in four weeks (nine in the last two weeks!), same as last year.  Two years ago had 13, three years ago had 9.
• Three Last Chance Misses.

And now for the more crucial numbers, from Sports Media Watch:

• Monday Night Football was down 9% in ratings and 11% in viewers from last year, about the same drop last year's took over two years ago.  SMW accredits this to Kansas City not being saleable, but I'm not so sure on this one...
• Sunday Night Football was down 7% in both measures from last year.
• FOX, however, scored HUGE with road game upsets against both the Cowboys and Patriots, up 22%  in both measures in the single game block.  A six year high for the Week 4 singleheader.
• There have been nine windows out of 25 which have posted ratings increases.  The Cowboys are 4 for 4 -- keep this in mind.
• The London early game was down 17% in both measures.
• The Patriots game contributed to an abysmal number for the late doubleheader block for CBS.  The block led by Oakland vs. Denver was down over 30% in both measures.
• The early block of that doubleheader was actually up 4% in both measures.