FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Patriots 29-26 overtime victory over the AFC East rival New York Jets drew the highest television ratings of the team's 2012 season.
This weekend's game saw a household rating of 41.40 and topped this season's previous high: a 38.46 rating drawn during the Patriots' Week 6 loss at Seattle. Sunday's rating marks only the second time since the start of the 2011 season that the Patriots have had a regular season game with a household rating of more than 40. The last regular season game in which the Patriots recorded a rating of more than 40 was on Dec. 18, 2011—a 41-23 victory over the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Sunday's household rating of 41.40 is the seventh highest rated regular season game in Patriots' history and the team's second highest rated regular season game against the New York Jets. The Patriots' 45-3 home victory over the Jets on Dec. 6, 2010 is the highest rated game against the Jets in team history.
The game also received a season-high household share rating of 65. The household share rating of 65 means that on average 65 percent of all televisions in use in the Boston market during the game were tuned in to the Patriots.
Prior to Sunday's game, the only overtime contest in Patriots' history to receive a household rating of at least 40 was the team's playoff victory over the Oakland Raiders on Jan. 19, 2002—the last game ever played in Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots closed out Foxboro Stadium on a high note that day, as place kicker Adam Vinatieri battled the snowy elements and finished a perfect 3-of-3 on field goal attempts. After booting a 45-yard field goal to tie the game towards the end of regulation, Vinatieri connected on a 23-yard field goal with 6:31 left in overtime to send the Patriots to the 2001 AFC Championship game in Pittsburgh.
This time around, the Patriots relied on kicker Stephen Gostkowski, whose 48-yard field goal during the first possession of overtime gave the Patriots a 29-26 lead and proved to be game's winning kick. Gostkowski also connected on a 43-yard field goal as time expired in regulation to send the game into overtime.
PATRIOTS ALL-TIME REGULAR SEASON RATINGS IN BOSTON TV MARKET
Rank   Date               Opponent       HH Rat.                      Â
1         12/29/07          at Giants          50.10
2         12/07/03          Miami               43.80
3         12/18/11          at Denver         42.65
4         12/19/10          Green Bay        42.62  Â
5         12/06/10          Jets                  42.20
6         11/21/10          Indianapolis      42.04
7         10/21/12          Jets                 41.40
PATRIOTS 2012 RATINGS IN BOSTON (MANCHESTER) TV MARKET
Date   Opponent       Network         Boston TV        HH Rat.      HH Share
9/9      at Tennessee    CBS            WBZ               33.50          60
9/16     Arizona            FOX            WFXT  .          32.88          63
9/23     at Baltimore      NBC           WHDH             36.06          57
9/30     at Buffalo         CBS            WBZ                32.80          60       Â
10/7     Denver             CBS            WBZ              37.60          63       Â
10/14   at Seattle          CBS            WBZ               38.46           59
10/21   Jets                 CBS            WBZ              41.40           65
