The Pittsburgh Steelers are showing signs of life, but can they beat a good team like the Indianapolis Colts?
Following the loss of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for the season, it seemed all was lost for the Steelers. But, thanks to competent play from their backups and a defense that is constantly generating turnovers, Pittsburgh is somehow still in the mix.
The Steelers defeat of the Dolphins on Monday Night Football last week demonstrated how Pittsburgh can win games. Mason Rudolph was decent in passing the ball, allowing running back James Conner to do the bulk of the offensive work. Conner had 145 yards on the ground and JuJu Smith-Schuster went over 100 yards through the air.
Pittsburgh’s defense creates opportunities for this subpar offense. The Steelers had four sacks and four turnovers against the Dolphins. The week before, they picked off Philip Rivers twice. The Steelers are serious ball hawks.
Even in victory, when you watch the Steelers, you get the sense that they are coving for the poor play of quarterback Mason Rudolph. Though he is a solid backup, he hasn’t yet had an inspiring game like some other replacements QBs like the Jaguars’ Gardner Minshew or the Colts’ Jacoby Brissett.
Brissett has put up bonafide starting numbers this year, leading the Colts to first place in the AFC South. Though he doesn’t yardage of some elite quarterbacks, Brissett’s smart play combined with Marlon Mack’s breakout season as a runner has been a winning combination.
The Colts defense hasn’t been as impressive. While their defensive line has played well, both in terms of getting pressure and stopping the run, Indy has had trouble in the secondary. Against the Broncos, rookie safety Rock Ya-Sin got flagged five times and still gave up significant yardage. And he isn’t the only Colt struggling against the pass.
Indianapolis clearly has the better offense. The Steelers are better on defense. But this isn’t an even matchup. The Steelers’ defense has had to play amazing football to put their weak offense over the top in recent weeks. If Mason Rudolph has another week where he completes only about half of his passes, Pittsburgh will probably lose.
The Colts have the edge here, but if Pittsburgh generates another one of these five-turnover games, they could pull off an upset.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts
- When: Sunday, Nov. 3 at 1pm ET
- Where: Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Streaming: CBS, NFL Sunday Ticket
There are a number of options for watching Steelers vs. Colts on streaming platforms that carry CBS. However, consult a coverage map to see what game your regional channel will be playing.
If a game is not being carried in your area, the only option might be an NFL Sunday Ticket package.
Steelers vs. Colts live stream: How to watch NFL online
1) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone. (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
2) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Hulu local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu with Live TV includes sports programming among its offerings with ESPN and FS1, and as a subscriber to the service, you’ll get free access to Hulu’s sizable on-demand library. (Check out the full list of Hulu Live TV channels.)
3) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
Both Sling Blue ($25 per month) or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month) include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels and NBCSN—and it’s still a nice perk that Sling subscribers can order a la carte packages. Sling TV also offers a special Latino package for bilingual viewers. Sling TV is currently offering a deal where you can subscribe for 40% off the regular price for the first month of your subscription. That means Sling Blue would cost $15, and Sling Orange + Blue would cost $25. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)
For $10 extra per month, you can get NFL RedZone via the Sling Blue Sports Extra package.
Unfortunately, due to a contract dispute, as of Sept. 26 Sling no longer carries Fox, FS1, and FS2. But there is a workaround.
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of Sling’s biggest problems: The inability to receive all of your local channels. By purchasing a basic AirTV for $79.99 or the AirTV Player for $119.99, you can merge those local channels into your Sling TV, (or on your mobile device if you have the basic AirTV). As the Daily Dot wrote in its AirTV review, “It’s practically magic.”
The basic AirTV is a dual-tuner streaming device, while the AirTV Player is basically an upgraded Chromecast that has Netflix preinstalled. You’ll still need to own an HD antenna because even though AirTV gets you access to your local channels, it doesn’t actually physically show them to you.
But AirTV—which has no monthly fee—serves to strengthen one of Sling’s biggest weaknesses compared to other live streaming services like Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. All those services have plenty of local channels. While select NFL and college football games (on Fox, FS1, and FS2) are no longer on Sling, you can still catch Fox games with AirTV.
4) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream the Chiefs vs. Texans, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
- YouTube TV local channels: NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC, the CW (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
YouTube TV is a great option for college football fans, including ESPN and FS1. (Take a look at the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
6) NFL Sunday Ticket
Cost: $73.99 per month for four months, or one single payment of $293.96
There are two—and only two—ways of acquiring NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV.
There’s NFLSundayTicket.TV, which costs $73.99 per month for four months. It’s everything you love NFL Sunday Ticket but online-only. You can stream from pretty much any device that connects to the internet (but only on one device at a time).
You can also upgrade to the NFLST.TV Max bundle for a total of $99 per month for four months or one single payment of $395.99. You can also add on NFL Game Pass, which allows you to watch replays of every game after they air, for $50 for the full season.
There’s another way to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without DirecTV: Amazon Prime. While you can’t pay for the package using Amazon Prime, you can at least watch all of the games on the service. To start, first download the NFL Sunday Ticket channel on Amazon Prime. It’s free. From there, you’ll just need to sign in with your subscription credentials to watch the Steelers vs. Colts.
College students can purchase NFL Sunday Ticket at a discounted price through NFLSundayTicket.TV U.
TRY NFL SUNDAY TICKET ON AMAZON PRIME
Fantasy football: Who should I start?
Steelers
Diontae Johnson, Wide Receiver: Pittsburgh probably can’t sustain multiple wide receivers week to week, but if you are short on receivers in Week 9, look at Johnson. The Steelers expect big things from him and he finally started to show promise against the Dolphins with 84 yards and a touchdown. Even if you aren’t playing him week-to-week, he could be a nice dynasty or keeper option. He isn’t JuJu Smith-Schuster, but he could be a useful flex option in a pinch.
Colts
Marlon Mack, Running Back: It is tough to trust anyone in Indy besides Mack and T.Y. Hilton despite the Colts’ real-world success. Though Pittsburgh is good on D, you can run on them. And Mack produces for fantasy owners almost every week.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Indianapolis Colts: Why it matters
The Steelers and Colts are both in competitive situations, though in different ways. Pittsburgh’s odds at a postseason berth are pretty long, but their weak division has kept the door open. If the Steelers can get to .500, they could make a run at the wild card.
Indianapolis is trying to hold off the Texans from taking first place in the AFC South. Houston has a more explosive offense, but the Colts have beaten good teams with disciplined play. If Indy slips a bit, you have to imagine the Texans will capitalize. But, for now, the division is theirs to lose.
The Colts have the edge in this game, but the Steelers might put up a good fight. Don’t be surprised if this is one of the more exciting Week 9 matchups.
READ MORE:
- How to watch NFL RedZone without cable
- How to watch NFL Sunday Ticket without a DirecTV satellite
- How to watch NFL Network online (without cable)
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