Getting two old rivals together in a battle of undefeated teams worked out well for ESPN. The Monday-night game between the Packers and Bears was the highest-rated cable telecast of the year.

ESPN says "Monday Night Football" had an estimated 17.5 million viewers, making it the fifth-most-watched cable program ever. It ranks behind a Monday-night game last season when the Packers faced former QB Brett Favre and the Vikings.

The network said Monday night's 12.5 rating was well above the season average so far of 10.9.

The Bears beat the Packers 20-17 in a back-and-forth game. Both teams entered the contest 2-0, and the Bears are now the only undefeated team in the NFC.

The way we see it

With a lockout looming, it's nice to see incredibly high TV ratings to remind the owners and players of the importance of football in Americans' lives. The Thursday-night NFL season opener between the Vikings and the Saints was the highest-rated NFL opener ever, and the Sunday-night Cowboys-Redskins game in Week One was the second-most-watched regular-season game in NBC network history.