Pats-Colts Showdown Gets Big Rating

The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts match up drew the biggest ratings for a Sunday afternoon NFL game in 20 years. This was the highest rating on record because CBS has only kept records for the past twenty years. This much anticipated game lived up to expectations as the Patriots defeated the Colts 24-20 at the RCA Dome. The same two teams matched up in the AFC Championship game last season.
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SI.com Reports:

NEW YORK (AP) -- The much-anticipated game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts earned the highest overnight rating for a Sunday afternoon regular-season game in at least 20 years.

The match up of two undefeated teams drew a 22.5 rating and 39 share on CBS in the nation's largest markets. That is the highest overnight rating since 198, which is as far back as the network's records go.

The previous high was a 22.2/41 for Dallas-San Francisco on Nov. 10, 1996, a meeting of the winners of the previous four Super Bowls. The Cowboys won 20-17 in overtime.

The Patriots' come-from-behind 24-20 victory attracted higher ratings than all four of last season's NFL divisional playoff games.

The game drew a 45.9/65 in Indianapolis and a 38.7/63 in Boston.