Will 2019 spell the end of an era in New England or Pittsburgh? Sunday night’s Patriots vs. Steelers matchup could offer early answers to this thorny question.
Historically, New England has had Pittsburgh’s number when Tom Brady is under center. While the Steelers have enjoyed success with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, his two Super Bowl rings pale in comparison to Brady’s six.
When they met late in the season last year, the Steelers took a rare victory from the Patriots, winning 17-10. However, that wasn’t enough to derail the Pats, who went on to win yet another Super Bowl.
Both of these teams have veteran quarterbacks that should start slowing down any season now as time catches up with them. Other AFC hopefuls will be watching this game closely to see if the glory days for these two squads are coming to an end.
Both the Patriots and the Steelers are looking to young talent to bolster their rosters. The Steelers famously lost offensive powerhouses Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in the offseason, and they will be looking at new faces like Donte Moncrief and James Washington to pick up the slack.
On defense, Steelers first-rounder Devin Bush needs to impress to keep Pittsburgh’s improved defense on an upswing.
The Patriots will have to rely on a new starting center this year. Ted Karras will replace David Andrews, who is out for the entire season due to injury. Pats insiders are optimistic about Karras, but even so, with a 42-year-old quarterback lining up behind him, Karras is going to have to play very well to hold onto favor in Boston.
New England has a knack for finding decent pass catchers for Tom Brady, and either aging veteran Demaryius Thomas or infamously troubled pass catcher Josh Gordon will have to step up to keep Brady’s yardage production on track.
| HOW TO WATCH PATRIOTS VS. STEELERS | |
| HULU WITH LIVE TV | TRY NOW |
| SLING TV | TRY NOW |
| PLAYSTATION VUE | TRY NOW |
| FUBOTV | TRY NOW |
New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- When: Sunday, Sept. 8 at 8:20pm ET (coverage begins at 7pm ET)
- Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Streaming: Sunday Night Football airs exclusively on NBC and is available on any platform that carries the network. Fans have a number of options for streaming the week’s marquee game.
Patriots vs. Steelers live stream: How to watch Sunday Night Football online
1) 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) and Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month) include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels, NBCSN, and FS1—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.
How to use AirTV with Sling
AirTV solves one of the 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.
2) FuboTV
Fubo TV steelers patriots sunday night football" class="wp-image-631458" src="https://www.dailydot.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/steelers_patriots_fubo.jpg"/>- Cost: $54.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- 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.)
3) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 5-day free trial)
- 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, 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.
4) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $44.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- 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, including 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.)
5) YouTube TV
- Cost: $50 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- 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) NBC Sports app
NBC Sunday Night Football Steelers Patriots" class="wp-image-631473" src="https://www.dailydot.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/steelers_patriots_sunday_night_football.jpg"/>Devices: Roku, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox, iOS and Android devices
If you have cable, or one of the aforementioned live TV streaming services, you can download the NBC Sports app and watch Sunday Night Football there in HD. If you’re using a web browser, you may need to install the latest version of Adobe Flash and your browser will need to be current enough to support HTML5 Media Source Extensions. You’ll also need a minimum internet connection of 10-plus Mbps. (Here are some tips for faster WiFi.)
Patriots vs. Steelers: Why it matters
For years, the Steelers and the Patriots have been the class of the AFC. Eight of the last twelve Super Bowls have featured either Pittsburgh or New England.
With aging quarterbacks and various question marks on their rosters, this first Sunday night game will be a key test for both squads. Are the glory days coming to an end for these storied franchises, or will both teams continue to dominate their conference?
The question ultimately comes down to 42-year-old Tom Brady and 37-year-old Ben Roethlisberger. The AFC has a pack of young talented quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Deshaun Watson, ready and willing to snatch the torch from them if they are missing a step.
We are accustomed to seeing the playoffs run through Gillette Stadium and Heinz Field. Sunday might give us a clue as to how long that is going to last.
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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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