Any television show or any sporting event would take a rating of 30.0 in the Dallas-Fort Worth market and laugh all the way to the bank. It's a terrific number. It means that an average of 30 percent of all homes with televisions in the area were tuned in at any moment. That translates to approximately 794,550 homes.

Relatively speaking, however, those are low numbers for a Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys matchup. But that's what Sunday's down-to-the-wire Packers 35, Cowboys 31 at AT&T Stadium scored locally for Fox on KDFW (Channel 4).

Consider this: Last season's Cowboys at Packers game, also played in October, earned a 37.0 in the same 3:25 p.m. time slot. The 30.0 marks a drop of 19 percent. Put another way, it means 209,408 fewer homes tuned in.

I know what you are thinking, but historically there has been little difference in ratings between home and road games.

Besides, Cowboys ratings have been down all season. Through five games last season, the Cowboys averaged a 31.5 rating. In 2017, they are at 30.3. That's 52,755 fewer homes tuning in. That's a decrease of 4 percent.

All this is worth noting in these caustic political times. Maybe it's blowback from players kneeling during the national anthem. Maybe it's a reaction to the Ezekiel Elliott soap opera. Maybe it's just a coincidence.

It should also be noted that through Monday night, NFL ratings nationwide are down 6 percent.

Twitter: @bhorn55