Sunday’s rematch of Super Bowl 59 was the most-watched NFL game ever before Nov. 1, according to Nielsen.
Fox Sports announced Tuesday that an estimated 33.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the Philadelphia Eagles and the “Brotherly Shove” defeat the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead.
Eagles-Chiefs was Fox’s best-ever regular season Sunday telecast and the most-watched September/October game ever.
The game was the most-watched telecast of any kind since the Super Bowl, according to Nielsen.
Taylor Swift Was in Attendance, Kind of
The historic ratings may have something to do with who was in attendance and when that news broke.
As speculation swirled, it was reported that pop superstar and fiancé to Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift, snuck into the stadium late to avoid photographers.
With the presence of Swift, the NFL gains a new audience tuning in to just for glimpses of her. But there were no broadcast shots of Swift on Sunday.
During an appearance on “Good Morning America” earlier this month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell beamed at the mere mention of Swift being rumored to play the Super Bowl in February.
“We would always love to have Taylor play,” Goodell said. “She is a special, special talent and she would be welcome at anytime.”
Goodell said it’s a “maybe” that Swift will be booked for Super Bowl 60 in California, but the decision rests with rap mogul Jay-Z, who works with the NFL to help produce the halftime show.
The Eagles Defense Was Top Notch on Sunday
A repeat of February, the Eagles beat the Chiefs, but it was far from perfect unlike their nearly flawless performance during the Super Bowl.
Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley each found the end zone on the ground, while Andrew Mukuba sealed the game with a key fourth-quarter interception of Patrick Mahomes, leading the Eagles to a 20-17 win powered by a tough, opportunistic defense.
“Our job, especially early in the season, is find a way to win. Take pride in winning any way you possibly can. Work to get better throughout the week, and repeat,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “I think when you come off a season like we came off last year the expectation is that you’re going to pick up where you left off. There are steps to this.”
Hurts was limited to 101 passing yards and Barkley managed just 88 on the ground, but the Eagles countered by holding Kansas City to 294 total yards, coming up with a key fourth-down stop and forcing the game’s lone turnover at a critical moment.
“Take pride in winning, one, and take pride in what is required of you, two,” Hurts said. “The team defensively played lights-out. Offensively we played well when we needed to. And we just need to continue to build.”
The Eagles improved to 2-0, extending their winning streak to seven games and moving to 17-1 over their last 18 outings. They’ve also won three straight against the Chiefs since falling to them in the Super Bowl three seasons ago. Meanwhile, Kansas City drops to 0-2, with the pressure mounting.