NFL Week #7: Tampa Bay-Vegas moves to late Fox game (31% of US), NBC’s SNF now Seattle-Arizona

THE NFL ANNOUNCED LATE THURSDAY THAT THE TAMPA BAY-LAS VEGAS GAME ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR SUNDAY NIGHT ON NBC HAS BEEN MOVED TO SUNDAY AFTERNOON LATE AND WILL BE AIRED ON FOX. NBC WILL INSTEAD RUN SEATTLE-ARIZONA ON SUNDAY NIGHT. 

Market clearances below

 The league wanted to ensure a SNF game – thus NBC gets undefeated Seattle at Arizona.

It’s CBS’ doubleheader week, Fox runs one game.

This is another bye week. Under the NFL’s revised schedule, Baltimore, Indianapolis, Miami and Minnesota are off. It results in 14 games; one on Fox/NFL Network, one on ESPN, one on NBC, six on CBS and five on Fox alone.

Joe Buck is also assigned to the World Series, all of which is being played in Arlington, Texas. But he won’t miss the Thursday night game between the Giants and Eagles which will be aired by both Fox and the NFL Network. So between games two and three of the Series, Joe will pop into Philly and turn right around for Arlington. No, Joe won’t be flying commercial. 

Buck and partner Troy Aikman will get Sunday off. Kevin Burkhardt, usually second on the play-by-play depth chart for Fox’ NFL coverage continues to anchor in the studio during the World Series. So Joe Davis is assigned an NFL game this weekend, teaming up with Daryl Johnston.

Davis has done the remarkable. Following the irreplaceable Vin Scully in the Dodgers’ booth, viewers have embraced him. Announcers are like food. There are those who like chicken and others who prefer steak. Yes, Davis is smooth and rarely overbearing but from this seat he’s a bit subdued.

Fox’ NFL play-by-play depth chart runs this way. Joe Buck, Kevin Burkhardt, Adam Amin and the versatile Kenny Albert. Newcomer Jonathan Vilma hasn’t overwhelmed me but Fox smartly teamed him with Albert who’s easy-going and has gotten him to open up a bit.

Andrew Catalon and James Lofton keep growing on me. Lofton did radio well for years. In recent years he’s brought his good wares and transparency to TV.

Numbers and more numbers. In a challenging year for sports ratings overall, Fox says that last week’s Tampa Bay-Green Bay game was up 4% in viewership over the corresponding week in 2009. Not to be left out, the good folks at CBS chimed in too. They shared this: Viewership for its singleheader last week was up 2% versus its comparable singleheader week last year.

Kevin Harlan has to shoulder Jay Feely as a partner this week. Let’s hope someone spoke to the former placekicker and told him to shush while his partner is talking. From my standpoint Feely’s performance on the Tennessee-Buffalo game last week warranted a one game suspension. He kept jumping on Tom McCarthy in mid-sentence. Not just once or twice but throughout the night.  It made me cringe.

Thursday, Oct. 22

New York Giants at Philadelphia, 8:20 p.m. (Fox and NFL Network) Joe Buck and Troy Aikman

Fox-100% of country, NFLN is in approximately 65 million homes

Sunday, Oct. 25

Detroit at Atlanta, 1 p.m. (Fox) Chris Myers, Greg Jennings and Brock Huard

7% of country/15 markets

Albany-Alpena-Atlanta-Augusta-Chattanooga-Columbus-Detroit-Flint-Grand Rapids-Lansing-Macon-Savannah-South Bend-Toledo-Traverse City

Cleveland at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. (CBS) Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta

4% of country/9 markets

Cincinnati-Cleveland-Columbus, Oh.-Dayton-Hazard-Lexington-Lima-Toledo-Youngstown

Green Bay at Houston, 1 p.m. (Fox) Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma

30% of country/70 markets

Anchorage-Bangor-Billings-Boise-Boston-Bowling Green-Butte-Casper-Cedar Rapids-Champaign-Charleston-Cheyenne-Chicago-Clarksburg-Colorado Springs-Columbia-Davenport-Denver-Des Moines-Duluth-Evansville-Fairbanks-Fargo-Fort Wayne-Grand Junction-Great Falls-Green Bay-Helena-Honolulu-Houston-Idaho Falls-Indianapolis-Juneau-Kansas City-La Crosse-Lexington-Lima-Lincoln-Los Angeles-Madison-Mankato-Marquette-Milwaukee-Minneapolis-Minot-Missoula-North Platte-Omaha-Ottumwa-Paducah-Parkersburg-Peoria-Portland-Presque Isle-Providence-Quincy-Rapid City-Rochester-Rockford-San Diego-Sioux City-Sioux Falls-Springfield, Il- Springfield, Ma- St. Joseph St. Louis Terre Haute Topeka Twin Falls Wausau

Carolina at New Orleans, 1 p.m. (Fox) Kevin Kugler and Chris Spielman

10% of the country/31 markets

Alexandria-Baton Rouge-Biloxi-Birmingham-Charleston-Charlotte-Columbia-Columbus-Dothan-Greensboro-Greenville, NC-Greenville, Sc-Greenwood-Hattiesburg-Huntsville-Jackson-Jacksonville-Lafayette-Lafayette-Lake Charles-Louisville-Meridian-Mobile-Monroe-Montgomery-Myrtle Beach-New Orleans-Raleigh-Salt Lake City-Tri-Cities-Wilmington

Buffalo at New York Jets, 1 p.m. (CBS) Greg Gumbel and Rich Gannon

9% of country/11 markets

Albany-Binghamton-Buffalo-Burlington-Elmira/Corning-Erie-New York-Rochester-Syracuse-Utica-Watertown

Pittsburgh at Tennessee, 1 p.m. (CBS) Ian Eagle and Charles Davis

87% of country/216 markets

Abilene-Albany, Ga-Albuquerque-Alexandria-Alpena-Altoona-Amarillo-Anchorage-Atlanta-Augusta Ga-Austin-Bakersfield-Baltimore-Bangor-Baton Rouge-Beaumont-Bend-Billings-Biloxi-Birmingham-Bismarck-Boise-Boston-Bowling Green-Bozeman-Bryan -Butte-Cadillac-Cape Girardeau-Casper-Cedar Rapids-Champaign-Charleston-Charlotte-Charlottesville-Chattanooga-Cheyenne-Chicago-Chico-Colorado Springs-Columbia-Columbus_Ga.-Columbus_Ms.-Coos Bay-Corpus Christi-Dallas-Denver-Des Moines-Detroit-Dickinson-Dodge City/Ensign-Dothan-Duluth – Chisholm-Durango-El Paso-Escanaba-Eugene-Eureka-Evansville-Fairbanks-Fargo-Flint-FlorenceFlorence Fort Wayne Fresno Ft Myers  Ft Smith Gainesville Glendive Goodland Grand Island Grand Junction Great Falls Greenbay Greensboro Greenville_Ms -Greenville_Nc Harlingen  Harrisburg Harrisonburg Hartford Hattiesburg Hays Helena Honolulu Houston Huntington Huntsville Idaho Falls Indianapolis Jackson Jackson Jacksonville Jefferson City Johnson City Jonesboro Juneau Kalamazoo Kalispell Kansas City Ketchikan Kirksville Knoxville La Crosse  Lafayette_In. Lafayette_La. Lake Charles Lander Lansing Laredo Las Vegas Lewisburg Lewiston Lincoln Little Rock Los Angeles Louisville Lubbock  Macon Madison Mankato Mason City Medford Memphis Meridian Miami  Milwaukee Minneapolis Minot Missoula Mobile Monroe Monterey Montgomery Montrose Nashville New Orleans Norfolk North Platte Odessa Oklahoma City Omaha Orlando Palm Springs Panama City Beach Parkersburg Pasco Peoria Philadelphia  Phoenix Pittsburg Pittsburgh Portland Portland Presque Isle Providence  Quincy Raleigh Rapid City Reliance Reno Richmond Roanoke Rock Island Rock Springs Rockford Roseburg Roswell Sacramento Salisbury Salt Lake City San Angelo San Antonio San Diego San Francisco Santa Maria Sault Saint Marie Savannah Scottsbluff/Gering Scranton Seattle Sherman Shreveport Sioux City Sioux Falls Sitka South Bend Spartanburg Spokane Springfield, Ma- Springfield, Mo- St Joseph St. Louis Tallahassee Tampa Terre Haute Topeka Tucson Tulsa Twin Falls Tyler Victoria W. Palm Beach Waco Walker Washington Wausau Weston Wheeling Wichita Wichita Falls Williston Wilmington Yakima Yuma

Dallas at Washington, 1 p.m. (Fox) Joe Davis and Daryl Johnston

21% of country/51 markets

Abilene-Albany-Albuquerque-Amarillo-Austin-Baltimore-Beaumont-Binghamton-Bluefield-Burlington-Charlottesville-Corpus Christi-Dallas-El Paso-Elmira-Fort Smith-Harlingen-Harrisburg-Harrisonburg-Hartford-Jackson-Johnstown-Jonesboro-Joplin-Laredo-Little Rock-Lubbock-Memphis-Norfolk-Odessa-Oklahoma City-Philadelphia-Richmond-Roanoke-Salisbury-San Angelo-San Antonio-Sherman-Shreveport-Springfield, Mo–Syracuse-Tulsa-Tyler-Utica-Victoria-Waco-Washington-Watertown-Wichita-Wichita Falls-Wilkes-Barre

Tampa Bay at Las Vegas, 4:05 p.m. (Fox) Adam Amin and Mark Schlereth

 31% of the country/45 markets

Bakersfield-Bend-Buffalo-Chico-Cincinnati-Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Erie-Eugene-Eureka-Fort Myers-Fresno-Gainesville-Guam-Knoxville-Las Vegas-Medford-Miami-Monterey-Nashville-New York-Orlando-Palm Springs-Panama City-Phoenix-Pittsburgh-Portland-Puerto Rico-Reno-Rochester-Sacramento-San Francisco-Santa Barbara-Seattle-Spokane-Tallahassee-Tampa-Tucson-US Virgin Islands-West Palm Beach-Wheeling-Yakima-Youngstown-Yuma

Kansas City at Denver, 4:25 p.m. (CBS) Kevin Harlan and Jay Feely

41% of country/128 markets

Abilene-Albuquerque-Alpena-Amarillo-Austin-Baltimore-Beaumont-Billings-Bismarck-Boise-Bowling Green-Bozeman-Bryan -Butte-Cadillac-Cape Girardeau-Casper-Cedar Rapids-Champaign-Cheyenne-Chicago-Cincinnati-Cleveland-Colorado Springs-Columbus_Oh.-Corpus Christi-Dallas-Dayton-Denver-Des Moines-Detroit-Dickinson-Dodge City/Ensign-Duluth – Chisholm-Durango-El Paso-Erie-Escanaba-Evansville-Fargo-Flint-Florence-Fort Wayne-Ft Smith-Glendive-Goodland-Grand Island-Grand Junction-Great Falls-Green Bay-Harlingen -Hays-Hazard-Helena-Houston-Huntington-Idaho Falls-Indianapolis-Jefferson City-Jonesboro-Kalamazoo-Kalispell-Kansas City-Kirksville La Crosse  Lafayette_In. Lander Lansing Laredo Las Vegas Lewisburg Lexington Lima Lincoln Little Rock Louisville Lubbock  Madison Mankato Mason City Memphis Minneapolis Minot Missoula Montrose North Platte Odessa Oklahoma City Omaha Peoria Pittsburg Pittsburgh Quincy Rapid City Reliance Rock Island Rock Springs Rockford Roswell Salisbury Salt Lake City San Angelo San Antonio Sault Saint Marie Scottsbluff/Gering Sherman Shreveport Sioux City Sioux Falls South Bend Springfield, Mo- St Joseph St. Louis Terre Haute Toledo Topeka Tulsa Twin Falls Tyler Victoria Waco Walker Wausau Weston Wichita Wichita Falls Williston Youngstown

Jacksonville at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:25 p.m. (CBS) Andrew Catalon and James Lofton

9% of country/10 markets

Albany, Ga-Gainesville-Jacksonville-Los Angeles-Orlando-Palm Springs-San Diego-Savannah-Tallahassee-Yuma

San Francisco at New England, 4:25 p.m. (CBS) Jim Nantz and Tony Romo

50% of country/98 markets

Albany, NY-Alexandria-Altoona-Anchorage-Atlanta-Augusta, Ga–Bakersfield-Bangor-Baton Rouge-Bend-Biloxi-Binghamton-Birmingham-Boston-Buffalo-Burlington-Charleston-Charlotte-Charlottesville-Chattanooga-Chico-Columbia-Columbus_Ga.-Columbus_Ms.-Coos Bay-Dothan-Elmira-corning-Eugene-Eureka-Fairbanks-Florence-Fresno-Ft Myers -Greensboro-Greenville_Ms-Greenville_Nc-Harrisburg-Harrisonburg-Hartford-Hattiesburg-Honolulu-Huntsville-Jackson-Jackson-Johnson City-Juneau-Ketchikan-Knoxville-Lafayette_La.-Lake Charles-Lewiston-Macon-Medford-Meridian-Miami -Milwaukee-Mobile-Monroe-Monterey-Montgomery-Nashville-New Orleans-New York-Norfolk Panama City Beach Parkersburg Pasco Philadelphia  Phoenix Portland Portland Presque Isle Providence  Raleigh Reno Richmond Roanoke Rochester Roseburg Sacramento San Francisco Santa Maria Scranton Seattle Sitka Spartanburg Spokane Springfield, Ma- Syracuse Tampa Tucson Utica W. Palm Beach Washington Watertown Wheeling Wilmington Yakima

Seattle at Arizona, 8:20 p.m. (NBC) Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth

100% of country

Monday, Oct. 26

Chicago at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN) Steve Levy, Brian Griese and Louis Riddick

ESPN is in approximately 85 million homes