NFL Week 14 TV Ratings and some Week 15 Side Notes

• I can do the AFC now.  The two games are both NFC tomorrow and any interconnection has already been dealt with, so I'll do that in the next post.
• Unless unexpected scoring happens tomorrow, this will be the lowest-scoring week in some time.  The last time the NFL didn't make 40 points a game for a week was Week 2 2019 (38.625).  With the two games left, this week stands at just 548 points, 39.143 per game.
• I'd need to see if I can still find the ATS numbers (the percentages of money on the spread) on the scheduled Monday Night game.  Those who bet Minnesota and gave the 7 points can be very thankful of an obscure NFL rule.  By Rule 4, Section 8, Article 2 (c) of the NFL Rulebook (and it was actually done three years ago), a touchdown at the end of the game needs no conversion if the conversion is meaningless to the actual result of the contest.
• Minnesota won 17-9, and because of 4-8-2(c), covered the -7.  So Merry Christmas and go spend that money on your family.
• Gee, Las Vegas, you needed all those players out for Cleveland not to cover a -3 on the road and win a Cliffhanger at the gun???
• Tom Brady did not have a good night on Sunday night (and I think I know the reason why -- and will discuss that in the AFC post, since it applies to the NFL in general!), but it's been 15 years since a Tom Brady team has been shut out, before last night.  December 10, 2006 -- Miami 21-0.
• Agh, Harbaugh!!  The problem with the two to win is two-fold -- Rodgers has 40 seconds and a timeout...  And it is only a genius move if it succeeds.
• Houston and Jacksonville had a 39.5 total at Caesar's -- the lowest in the NFL since Week 5.

Now to the TV ratings for last week from Sports Media Watch:

• Sunday Night:  Bears-Packers cashed in -- 10.2 rating, 18.56 million viewers.  Up 6% ratings and 9% viewers from last year, and the biggest SNF since Brady's return to New England.
• Including non-Nielsen streaming data, Sunday Night games are up 11% for the year.
• The Monday Night Triplecast paid dividends as well:  Rams-Cardinals got an 8.4 rating and 15.9 million viewers -- best Week 14 MNF since 2013 and up 14% ratings and 28% viewers from last year because of the 2 and ABC triplecast.
• Thursday Night:  Steelers-Vikings, 8 rating, 14 million viewers -- pretty much a wash.  Down a tenth of a point in ratings, up 3% viewers.
• CBS National:  Tom Brady couldn't help this week.  Bills-Tom Bradys in most of the country drew 11.6 rating and 21.4 million viewers.  Down 5% in both numbers.
• Lowest rated Week 14 late window in over 20 years, least-watched in ten.
• CBS Regional:  Raiders-Chiefs headed a 7.0 rating and 12.1 million viewers, a wash from last year.
• FOX Single:  And Dallas couldn't even get anything off the schnide, as them and the Football Team led a Single window to an 8.2 and 15.7 million viewers -- down 11% ratings and 2% viewers.
• But the season-long general numbers, including the non-Nielsen streaming, is still up 7% over last year.