Fox's 45-14 New Orleans win against Arizona drew a 17.9 overnight rating, translating into 17.9% of TV households in 56 urban markets — up 5% from CBS' Baltimore-Tennessee game in that time slot last year. Indianapolis' 20-3 win against Baltimore on CBS Saturday night drew an 18.7 overnight — up 18% from Fox's comparable coverage of Arizona-Carolina last year.

The NFL, which had its most-watched season since 1990, has four star quarterbacks on display in the AFC title game (3 p.m. ET) on CBS — which doesn't normally use NFL sideline reporters but will use Steve Tasker in that role Sunday — and Fox's NFC title game (6:40 p.m. ET). But even with Brett Favre, the marquee later time slot and the momentum of the NFL's ratings roll, Fox would need something cataclysmic Sunday to break the TV ratings record for playoff action outside the Super Bowl: The 1982 Dallas-San Francisco game drew a 42.9 rating, which out-rates 23 Super Bowl games.