The CBS telecast of Sunday’s Jets-Steelers game drew a 31.3 overnight Nielsen rating, the highest metered-market number for an AFC Championship Game since 1987, but down 6 percent from last year’s prime-time conference championship (Vikings-Saints, 33.3).

Fox’s coverage of Sunday’s Packers-Bears matchup earned a 30.0, up 6 percent from last year’s early conference championship game (Jets-Colts, 28.4).

If you compare network-to-network, the CBS number was 10 percent higher than last year’s AFC game, and the Fox rating 6 percent from last year’s NFC game. The later game usually gets a stronger number.

Fox could be looking at a huge number for the Super Bowl on Feb. 6. Although Pittsburgh and Green Bay are two of the NFL’s smaller cities, they are tradition-steeped franchises with huge followings outside their immediate markets. It figures to be a competitive game (the early line favors the Packers by 2½ points).