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There’s always a problem with the NFL

Lousy matchups. Terrible officiating. Protests on the sidelines drawing criticism not only from fans but the White House.

And through it all, the league remains a TV ratings monster.

After some tough times in 2016 and 2017, TV ratings rebounded in 2018 and in mid-October of this year were up 5 percent year over year. Those numbers are also 8 percent better than 2017’s.

Young, emerging talent always helps. The Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson breathed new life into quarterbacking and brought more excitement. Running backs like Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints add to the fun.

Consider this, though. The NFL’s TV numbers remain strong while many of its marquee franchises in major markets struggle.

Neither New York team will make the playoffs. The same likely will be true of the pair in Los Angeles. No one in the NFC East is over .500. The Chicago Bears have declined from last year’s 12-4 run. The Miami Dolphins are awful. So are the Atlanta Falcons.

New York, L.A., Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami, Atlanta – these are big markets in which to do poorly. When their teams ride high, TV numbers pop. The Giants, the Jets, the Bears, these are teams with national followings.

But even without success there, the NFL is in fine shape.

You’ll get a good look at that on Saturday when the league stages a triple-header on NFL Network. The NFL can take a punch and shrug it off. It remains the ratings champion.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman