Preliminary numbers from Nielsen, which tabulates viewership, show that 44.9 percent of homes in the nation with a TV tuned into CBS to watch the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3, the worst rating since the 2009 matchup between the Steelers and Cardinals had a 42.1 figure. Last year’s scintillating Eagles-Patriots contest generated a 47.4 “overnight” rating.
Rams ratings have been low in Los Angles compared to those for teams in other cities since the club returned to Southern California from St. Louis three seasons ago, and that trend continued Sunday. LA produced a 44.6 rating, the second-lowest for a market of a team competing in the game in records that date to 1987.