Sunday Night Football Week 3: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Steelers vs. Panthers

The Week 3 edition of Sunday Night Football will bring a huge opportunity for two teams in up-for-grabs divisions as the Carolina Panthers host the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC.

It's been a rocky start to 2014 for the Steelers. They held on in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns despite allowing a 24-point lead slip away, then were trounced the following week by the Baltimore Ravens 26-6 to fall to 1-1.

The Panthers haven't had a healthy Cam Newton early in the season, but it hasn't much mattered. Derek Anderson came in to lead Carolina to a Week 1 win over Tampa Bay, and Newton returned to help the Panthers cruise in their home opener against a stout Lions squad.

With Atlanta making waves in the NFC South early on and the Saints never truly going away, the Panthers can't afford to take their foot off the gas despite a 2-0 start. At the same time, the Steelers must start stringing together wins to contend with the Bengals and Ravens in the AFC North.

Let's get to it and break down this Sunday Night Football affair.

Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

When: Sunday, September 21

Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Spread: Panthers (-3); Over/Under: 42

Note: Odds via Odds Shark.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Name	Position	Status
Carolina Panthers: Name	Position	Status
Dri Archer	RB	Doubtful
Ramon Foster	OL	Questionable
Lance Moore	WR	Probable
Mike Tolbert	FB	Probable
Dwan Edwards	DT	Probable
Kelvin Benjamin	WR	Probable
Greg Olsen	TE	Probable
Jerricho Cotchery	WR	Questionable
DeAngelo Williams	RB	Questionable
Jason Avant	WR	Questionable
Thomas Davis	LB	Questionable

Injury report information courtesy of ESPN.com

USA TODAY Sports

It hasn't been close to the early-season woes they faced a year ago, but 2014 hasn't started the way the Pittsburgh Steelers had in mind.

With two divisional affairs to start the season, the Steelers had a shot to make a resounding statement in the AFC North. Instead, they barely held on against an overmatched Browns team and were trounced by 20 points to the rival Ravens. Now, it's the Bengals leading the division outright after two games. 

Speaking of leading the division outright, the Panthers have a big chance to stay ahead of the NFC South. But a loss will drop them to 2-1 and tied with the Falcons.

This game looks to come down to the turnover battle first and foremost, and every indication in that regard points to the Carolina Panthers. 

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

A tough-nosed and opportunistic defense has been the biggest strength of these Panthers early on in 2014. They forced three turnovers in each of their two opening games, and most importantly, the offense didn't turn the ball over once.

The Steelers know something about turnovers in 2014. They forked the ball over three times to the Ravens and once to the Browns, while not amassing a single takeaway so far this season.

Pittsburgh generated success in Week 1 by allowing Le'Veon Bell and the run game to set up the pass, and that will be easier said than done against a Luke Kuechly-led Panthers defense that ranks sixth in run defense thus far in 2014. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has given high praise to the young linebacker.

“There’s nothing that he can’t do,” Tomlin told ESPN's Scott Brown of Kuechly. “He is good at blitzing. He is a sideline-to-sideline tackler. He has innate instincts. He can slip blocks. He can defeat blocks physically. He is great in the passing game.” 

As if the young 2014 season and the Steelers' recent woes aren't enough, Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders noted that Pittsburgh just doesn't perform well on the road in prime time:

The Steelers obviously have a lot going against them in this matchup, but their paltry run defense hasn't even been mentioned. It ranks 30th in the league through two games, giving up a whopping 174 yards rushing per contest. 

Carolina knows something about running the football, amassing more than 2,000 yards on the ground last season and using a burly backfield of DeAngelo Williams, Mike Tolbert and Jonathan Stewart. While the last of the three had to assume the duties almost by himself against Detroit, all three are expected back Sunday, per ESPN's David Newton. 

One of the best run games against one of the worst run defenses? A turnover-prone Steelers team on the road against a Panthers squad that has a plus-six turnover differential through two games? Barring the unforeseen, this one shouldn't be close.  

Prediction: Panthers win, 34-20

Note: All stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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