Cardinals vs. Rams Delivers Highest Monday Night Football Viewership Since ESPN's Season Opener
The hype leading up to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals Week 14 matchup brought enormous intrigue with two teams jockeying for position atop the NFC West standings.
However, just hours before game-time, the Rams were hit with the shocking news that cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Tyler Higbee would join running back Darrell Henderson, right tackle Rob Havenstein and cornerback Dont'e Deayon on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
With the Rams' backs against the wall, the viewership of the game did not waver.
The audience from Monday Night Football's telecast drew the largest viewership since the primetime season opener on ESPN between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens, the network announced Wednesday.
In totality, the Rams and Cardinals Week 14 game drew 15.9 million viewers, the second-best Monday Night Football audience in 27 games. It marked the highest consumed Monday night product in Week 14 since the 2013 season and was up 23% from last season's ratings.
Perhaps the interest in quarterback Kyler Murray, who had returned from his ankle injury in the week prior, attracted a surplus of eyeballs due to the fact that the Cardinals could clinch a playoff spot had they defeated the Rams.
Meanwhile, questions on the Rams entering the contest were warranted. They had lost three of the last four games, giving consumers a reason to wonder whether or not they could rebound. Ultimately, in a game the Rams were shorthanded, they returned back to their dominant form, knocking off the NFC's top team on primetime.
More from Ram Digest:
- Rams Add Three More Players to Reserve/COVID-19 List, Bringing Total to 16
- Rams vs. Seahawks Betting Odds: Point Spread, Over/Under, Moneyline
- Rams DT Aaron Donald Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week
- Rams Add Nine Players to Reserve/COVID-19 List, Activate TE Tyler Higbee
- Rams Close Training Facility in Attempt to Stop COVID-19 Outbreak
- Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. Reportedly Tests Positive for COVID-19
- SI Power Rankings: Rams Ascend Into Top Five Territory in Week 15
- 5 Takeaways From the Rams' Week 14 Win Over Cardinals
- Aaron Donald's Brilliance Leads to Rams Defensive Improvement in Week 14 vs. Cardinals
- Cooper Kupp Continues Historic Season on Monday Night, Leading Rams Past Cardinals
- Rams Keep NFC West Hopes Alive With 30-23 Win Over Cardinals
Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.
