I think you have articulated an aspect I hadn't thought of, and it seems very credible to me.
Well, my main objection was that both episodes were tasteless, juvenile (especially that godawful mess passing as a script, for the MNF bit), gratuitous and UTTERLY UNRELATED TO FOOTBALL FOR CRYING OUT LOUD---but once gridlock mentioned it, I realized there was a lot of other material to object to as well.
I still don't think it's the audience that has "the problem". It's the performers who were so eager to degrade themselves with this stuff, and who were so surprised they weren't universally applauded for it.