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It was no secret the New England Patriots matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday was one of the most anticipated games of the 2019 NFL season.
In a sloppy, rain-soaked game, the Patriots defense dominated in a 13-9 game that lacked a whole lot of excitement on either end. Despite both teams boasting high-octane offenses, especially Dallas, there were just 22 combined points.
Regardless of the lack of offense, the game posted the best television ratings of the 2019 season thus far and tied the highest mark since 2007. It was also the most-watched NFL game since 1996.
The game garnered a 19.5/40 metered market rating, tying the mark set by the Patriots 2007 game against the Indianapolis Colts. During New England’s perfect season, the Colts gave New England a scare by taking a 20-10 lead with nine minutes to play before New England rattled off a comeback in a 24-20 victory to improve to 9-0.
New England and Dallas have dominated the ratings all season, so it’s no wonder they were able to reach such a high mark. The game registered a 42.6/67 metered market rating in the Boston area, another incredible figure for the game. It was also the most-watched television event since February.
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Patriots Trending Upward in Ratings
Sunday’s game was the third time in the last five weeks that the Patriots topped the weekly ratings.
Their Week 8 encounter with the Browns, also played in similar conditions, received a 12.0 rating and had an estimated 21 million viewers. The next week, the Patriots and Ravens got a 12.7 rating, finishing second in the week and garnering 22 million viewers.
In Week 11 against Philadelphia, New England again topped the ratings with a 14.0 score and 24.9 million viewers on television in a Super Bowl LII rematch.
Even in Week 7, when the Patriots played the Jets on Monday Night Football, the game fell flat with just 10.8 million viewers but got a 36.7 rating in the Boston market.
As for Dallas, they topped the ratings for primetime games between Weeks 4 and 6, averaging 23 million viewers per game during that stretch. This is the third straight week the Cowboys ranked inside the top three in weekly metered market ratings.
Prior Matchups between New England and Dallas
The Patriots and Cowboys also met in the 2007 season for what would be the most anticipated matchup of the regular season as well. A rare battle of 5-0 teams in the Patriots’ final visit to the old Texas Stadium. New England dismantled the Cowboys in a 48-27 victory on the road. Four weeks later, the Patriots and Colts met in the most-watched game that season.
If the teams were to ever meet in the Super Bowl, given the histories of the two franchises and the high-interest level of their respective markets and the world, the game would likely set a new ratings’ records. At 6-5, Dallas is still in a fight for its playoff lives while the Patriots could lock up a postseason spot by next Sunday.
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