TV Networks Will Miss Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, But Good Matchups are Still in Store

The devastating injury suffered by Patrick Mahomes might mark the end of a dynasty, not only for the Kansas City Chiefs, but for the TV networks that have counted on the Kansas Chiefs to deliver reliably high ratings.

It seems like it was only yesterday when the Chiefs and the Cowboys (another fading franchise this season) set a new record for the highest-rated regular season NFL game with an audience of more than 57 million viewers.

With Mahomes and Taylor Swift’s favorite player, Travis Kelce, they played in five of the last six Super Bowls, winning three. Now with their star quarterback out, they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs and will be relegated to meaningless games for the foreseeable future.

Despite recent injuries to several key players, the NFL remains a powerhouse, and the upcoming schedule is dotted with games that will draw football fans.

Look at the Thursday Night Football game coming to Amazon Prime Video this week. The top-seeded L.A. Rams are taking on the Seattle Seahawks in a battle for first place in the West division.

This Saturday’s Fox doubleheader sees the defending champ Eagles taking on the depleted Commanders, followed by the rematch between the Cheeseheads from Green Bay (minus injured Micah Parsons) and the Chicago Bears, another game that will with the division leadership hanging in the balance.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football gets the Drake Maye-led Patriots against the Ravens and Monday Night Football on ESPN will have two playoff contenders with 49ers and the Colts.

Netflix (and us fans) get a lump of coal on Christmas with the going–nowhere-fast Cowboys playing the collapsing Commanders, followed by the fading Lions taking on the faded Vikings.

Amazon’s Christmas nightcap features the top-rated Broncos playing the Mahomes-less Chiefs. Bah humbug.

The following Saturday, we’re back in business with the tough Texans playing the Chargers on NFL network and the Ravens taking on the Packers on NBC.

Bottom line: it will take more than a handful of high-profile players getting injured to slow the NFL’s TV juggernaut.

SPEAKING OF DA BEARS

Another week, another win. OK, maybe the Browns aren’t the toughest team to beat, but 31-3 is hard to argue with.

Quarterback Caleb Williams is more and more frequently throwing like a No. 1 draft choice and the Bears’ running game is built for December football and beyond.

For folks here in Chicago, this is must-see TV. And you don’t have to watch through gritted teeth for a change. (Most of the time.)

Of course, this could all fall apart with a collapse against the hated Packers this weekend. For many, beating the Packers is as important for the Bears as beating Michigan is for Ohio State. But this season, the Packers game will not only decide bragging rights, but probably who wins the black-and-blue division and gets home games in the playoffs.

Can’t wait.

THE OLD COLLEGE TRY

Notre Dame is out of the college football playoffs (they wuz robbed) and have decided they’re too good for the Pop Tarts
Bowl.

They’re taking their ratings and prestige and going home till next fall. But the old saying goes, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean there aren’t people out there to get you.

While the Irish have beef with ESPN, the ACC, the SEC, I’m rooting for Ole Miss to show former coach Lane Kiffin what he’s missing. The Rebs should beat Tulane and then take on Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

It would be so sweet if Ole Miss somehow gets past Georgia and the clock started ticking down on Kiffin at LSU.

COMMERCIALS DURING SOCCER

One of the great things about watching soccer on TV is the absence of commercials. Unless someone is seriously hurt, the game goes on without interruption.

But with the World Cup coming up and taking place in the U.S., the powers-that-be have declared that there will be “hydration breaks” during games.

What will TV show while the water boys and girls are on the field? The networks–Fox for English language and Telemundo in Spanish–aren’t commenting but I bet they’d love to show commercials.

Telemundo already says it is 90% sold out of its World Cup commercial inventory. Those ads will mostly air in pre- and post-games shows and during halftime.

Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Bank of America, Coca Cola, Diageo, McDonald’s, Toyota, Volkswagen of America and Xfinity are signed up.

Other than the sponsors, who else would get a kick out of soccer if there was room for commercials during stoppages?