Ratings Soar for AFC Game

The AFC championship game received the highest overnight rating of any TV program -- sports or otherwise -- since last year’s Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots’ 24-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday got a 26.6 rating on CBS.

That’s the best overnight rating since the 2003 Super Bowl involving the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders got a 43.8 on ABC.

The CBS rating was about 3% higher than last year’s AFC title game involving the Raiders and Tennessee Titans.

The NFC championship game involving the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles got a 25.0 overnight rating on Fox, down about 8% from last year’s game involving the Buccaneers and the Eagles. Carolina beat Philadelphia, 14-3.

*

Former Green Bay Packer defensive coordinator Ed Donatell will become the top defensive assistant to new Atlanta Falcon Coach Jim Mora.

The Falcons also hired Alex Gibbs as offensive line coach. Gibbs worked for the Denver Broncos as an assistant for the last nine seasons, but mostly as a consultant to the team the last three seasons.

*

Bruce Coslet is rejoining the Cincinnati Bengals as a part-time scout.

Coslet was the Bengals’ offensive coordinator from 1986 to 1989 and had a record of 21-39 as coach from 1996 to 2000.

He coached the New York Jets from 1990 to 1993 and was offensive coordinator at Dallas in 2002.

*

The Houston Texans hired veteran assistant Joe Pendry.

Pendry, the offensive coordinator under Texan Coach Dom Capers at Carolina for three seasons before moving to the Buffalo Bills (1998 to 2000), will replace Tony Marciano as offensive line coach.

Marciano, whose unit took much of the blame for David Carr’s being sacked 76 times in 2002, oversaw a line that gave up only 36 sacks last season. He will take over the tight ends from Greg Roman, who will become quarterbacks coach.

Until now, Chris Palmer had tutored quarterbacks as part of his duties as offensive coordinator.