Maybe the New England Patriots really have become America's Team.
It would seem to be the case if you look at NFL broadcast ratings this season, a category in which the Patriots have dominated, thanks to their 14-game winning streak. The networks that carry NFL games have particularly benefited from airing New England's games.
"The Patriots have been a great story for us. They're the driving force behind our ratings," said Sean McManus, President of CBS Sports, which has carried most of the Pats games this season.
"It's hard to overestimate the value of NFL programming, especially when you're having the kind of season that we're having with the Patriots. That obviously translates into significant revenue," McManus added in a story on Bloomberg.com.
But fans have profitted, too, from New England's historic run, as the article goes on to state.
Back on the field, the 1998 Vikings, for whom WR Randy Moss used to play, set the record for most points scored in an NFL season -- a record New England is attempting to surpass this season. According to Minnesota's former head coach, the Patriots have a great chance to do so, thanks to their two offensive greats.
"It was apparent from our first mini-camp practice [Moss] was going to be a superstar," Denny Green told ESPN.com. And what about the guy who throws him the footall?
"I have never seen a QB who plays as well as Brady has played this season, and I have been around one of the greatest," added Green, who used to coach Joe Montana in San Francisco.
The feature also compares other components of the two high-powered teams.
As for this Sunday's game with Miami (let's not forget they still have to play this one first), it remains unclear if destructive DE Jason Taylor will suit up for the Dolphins.
And another of Taylor's colleagues on defense is a question mark, too, according to the* Miami Herald*.
QUICK HITS
Next weekend's game with the Giants, which can be seen on NFL Network Saturday night, could be available to viewers outside the Boston and New York markets, according to stories on the *Connecticut Post's* website and in entertainment industry magazine Variety.
Don't get your hopes up, however, says a late-breaking story from the Washington Post.
And in today's Boston Globe, a columnist looks back at how different our country was the last (and only) time an NFL team went undefeated in a season.
