Sports

The Chiefs continue to deliver in prime time. Or at any time.

Sunday night's must-win victory over the Lions generated more than 27.3 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. It was the second biggest October audience for a Sunday Night Football game, behind only Tom Brady's return to New England on October 3, 2021.

Sunday Night Football now has exceeded 25 million viewers for the fourth time this year. That's the most through Week 6 in SNF history. Last year, four games exceeded 25 million for the entire season.

For the year, Sunday Night Football is averaging 25.2 million viewers per week, an 11-percent increase from 2024 and the best six-week start ever for the broadcast.

Of that number, a record 3.0 million per week are streaming the game on Peacock.

On Monday, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin chided the Browns for the "shocking" decision to trade quarterback Joe Flacco in the division. On Tuesday, Flacco was asked about Tomlin's remark.

"I didn't get to see how upset he was, but you know I think he's probably just playing the game a little bit and you know doing whatever he has to do," Flacco told reporters.

The game is talking Flacco up before facing him. At another level, Tomlin likely also wishes he was facing Jake Browning. Last year, Tomlin told his players to keep Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson in the game, because Tomlin preferred to face Richardson over Flacco. And when Richardson got injured in Flacco came in, Flacco led the Colts to a win over Pittsburgh, 27-24.

Their rivalry goes back to 2008. Like it or not, Tomlin and the Steelers will see Flacco again on Thursday night. For the 4-1 Steelers, it would be easier to get to 5-1 if they were facing Browning.

The Broncos officially signed defensive back J.T. Gray from the Ravens' practice squad, and they promoted offensive guard Calvin Throckmorton to the active roster, the team announced Tuesday.

In corresponding moves, the Broncos placed offensive lineman Matt Peart (knee) and linebacker Garret Wallow (hamstring) on injured reserve.

The Broncos also announced they signed offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart and defensive end Garrett Nelson to their practice squad and placed wide receiver Thayer Thomas on the practice squad injury list.

Gray's signing, which was previously reported, reunites him with Broncos head coach Sean Payton and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi. After spending his first seven NFL seasons with the Saints, Gray joined the Ravens' practice squad in September.

Throckmorton, a fifth-year player, has appeared in 49 games with 27 starts since entering the league in 2021. He spent most of the first six weeks of the season on Denver's practice squad before being elevated for the Broncos' Week 6 game against the Jets.

Peart played all 60 snaps against the Jets but underwent medical testing upon the team's return to Denver. It marks the second consecutive week the Broncos have placed their starting left guard on injured reserve, with Peart following Ben Powers (biceps).

Wallow, who injured his hamstring against the Jets, played 90 special teams snaps this season. That is 63 percent of the team's special teams snaps. He has not played a defensive snap.