Sunday Night Football Schedule 2014: TV, Live Stream for Bengals vs. Patriots

Undefeated juggernaut vs. underperforming roster that isn't used to struggling. That's what's on tap for Sunday Night Football during Week 5 of the NFL season.

The Cincinnati Bengals are 3-0 on the year, and their defense has allowed an average of just 11 points per game. The offense has been explosive, scoring 80 points over three contests. Andy Dalton and Co. have it all working right now.

Then there are the New England Patriots. Tom Brady is struggling. The offense has no fluidity. The defense has allowed 90 points in four weeks. As a result, the Patriots are 2-2 and in uncharted territory—the chance of dropping under .500 is real.

Despite the apparent mismatch, this game should be worth A watch. The thought of going under .500 should be enough motivation for the Patriots to keep this game interesting.

Below you'll find all the necessary information you'll need to view the game.

Viewing Info

Date	Time (ET)	Location	TV
Sunday, Oct. 5	8:30 p.m.	Gillette Stadium	NBC

*Live Stream can be seen at NBC Sports Live Extra.

Outlook

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The Patriots likely aren't pleased with this week's matchup. They played the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night in Week 4, and on the short week, the Patriots would have appreciated more of a cupcake matchup.

Not this week, though. The Patriots' obvious flaws could be exposed even further by a strong Cincinnati team. Michael Whitmer of The Boston Globe wrote about those flaws:

"

If the Patriots were ever in need of an overmatched, confidence-restoring, get-well opponent, this might be the week, with New England reeling from a 41-14 loss at Kansas City on Monday, bombarded with questions about their aging quarterback, Swiss cheese offensive line, lack of pass-catching weapons, and having one fewer day to prepare for Sunday’s game.

"

Brady has been scuffling all year long, mostly because of the aforementioned issues on the offensive line and in the passing game. The 37-year-old quarterback is completing just 59.1 percent of his passes. He has just four touchdown passes. He has also fumbled five times.

Absolutely nothing is going right for the Patriots leader.

On the other side, Dalton is enjoying a strong start to his season. He has completed 65.5 percent of his passes, amassing 722 passing yards. He has just two touchdowns, however, as the running game has also yielded a few scores.

This game is going to come down to a battle of the quarterbacks. Dalton will likely do well against a spotty Patriots D, but how successful Brady is against the strong Bengals defense will dictate the competitiveness of this game.

Cox Media Bengals beat writer Jay Morrison highlighted the differences between the two signal-callers this season:

This game could get one-sided quickly, but it still shouldn't be surprising if Brady comes out and has a great game. His supporting cast isn't the greatest, but he's still a great quarterback.

The Patriots, looking to avoid 2-3, need to come out with some fire against a much better Bengals club.

Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @KennyDeJohn_BR