Part 4/8:
As Tuesday arrived, fans awaited the ratings for the playoff games with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Historically, the television ratings for the NFL have held strong, with a decline of only 2% in recent seasons despite underwhelming regular season gameplay. The looming question remained: for how long can the NFL maintain high ratings while producing lackluster showings on the field? There is an underlying fear of burnout among devoted viewers who are putting up with poor quality in hopes things will eventually improve.