The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are playing live for the NFL season opener on Thursday night and the game from Gillette Stadium is on TV from NBC as the Pats host Big Ben. The game starts at 8:30 pm ET and will be streaming online from the NBC Sports Live Extra website as Tom Brady makes his debut after his suspension was thrown out.
The Steelers and Patriots will both be down a couple players, as LeGarrette Blount and Le'Veon Bell are out at running back after an incident last summer off the field. The Steelers also will be without Martavis Bryant after he failed a drug test and that means the team will rely more on Markus Wheaton behind Antonio Brown. Brown established himself as one of the best players in football last season and he is expecting to have another big year.
The Patriots are coming in after losing in the preseason finale against the Giants and they won against the Panthers and Saints before that. Tom Brady is playing in this game and that is a welcome sight for Pats fans, as he was going to be out for four games if his suspension was held up. Brady and the Pats are ready to defend their Super Bowl title and the team is expecting to be in the mix in the AFC once again. The Dolphins will be improved and the Jets and Bills have new leadership, but the Pats are the divisional favorites until they aren't anymore.
The Pats come in with the Steelers, Bills and Jaguars as their first three games before a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on the road. That starts a tough stretch for the team, as they play against the Cowboys and the Colts on the road. The game against the Colts should be very interesting, as this will be the first matchup since the AFC Championship game and the DeflateGate scandal. The Patriots and the Colts matchup will be one of the most anticipated of the season when Week 5 hits.
The Steelers are coming into the season with high expectations and even with Bell and Bryant out for a bit of time at the beginning, many see Pitt as a contender in the AFC as well. There is rain in the forecast for the first game of the season, but that shouldn't stop the fans from being pumped about Brady and the Pats. The Steelers open with the Patriots and then have the 49ers are home before games against the Rams, Ravens, Chargers and Cardinals after that.
The Pats and Steelers are kicking off the NFL season and the game starts at 8:30 pm ET with TV coverage on NBC.
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