NEW YORK -- The first day of the NFL playoffs drew the best preliminary television ratings in a decade.
The Dallas Cowboys' 34-14 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on NBC on Saturday night earned a 19.6 overnight rating and 32 share, the highest for a first-round game since the 1999 season.
The New York Jets' 24-14 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, also on NBC, drew a 16.9 rating/31 share, the best for the early game in 10 years. The average for the two games was up 12 percent from last season.
Ratings represent the percentage of all households with televisions tuned into a program, and shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time. Overnight ratings measure the nation's largest markets.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
