Was Goodell worried about the viewership ratings?
Of course.
The concern wasn't about just one game, but rather the overall trend in the environment.
In the past two years, with the rise of streaming media there has been yet another shift in entertainment consumption among younger generations. Traditional TV viewing has faced increasing challenges, and a decline in TV ratings had become commonplace.
Even the NFL, once thought to have an unchallengeable position as king of ratings, inevitably faced this test. The League had to think long-term.
Supporting the passing offense was for the sake of viewership ratings.
Supporting Li Wei and Donald was also for the sake of viewership ratings.
The playoffs not being exciting enough, leading to loss of viewers, was a very serious matter.
However, in difficult times, Goodell always managed to grasp the essential points.
