Sunday Night Football Week 9: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Ravens vs. Steelers

Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season features a Sunday Night Football clash between two AFC North heavyweights in the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. This contest could have serious playoff implications, as each team holds a 5-3 record in a highly competitive division.

The first time these teams met this season was in Week 2. In that Thursday Night Football contest, the Ravens dominated on their home turf, winning 26-6. This time around, the Steelers get home-field advantage and are coming off a 51-point performance, while the Ravens are attempting to rebound from a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Will Pittsburgh even the score, or will Baltimore gain a huge advantage in what should be a division race that goes down to the wire? As we await these teams to take the gridiron, here's a look at all of the game's essential viewing information and a preview of what's to come.

Viewing Information

When: Sunday, November 2

Where: Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Channel: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Preview and Prediction

The Steelers are entering this game red hot after an impeccable offensive performance against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 8. It was a career day for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who completed 40 of his 49 passing attempts for 522 yards and six touchdowns for a 150.6 quarterback rating.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown continued his blistering pace this season, racking up 10 receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns. That performance earned the pass-catcher the league's No. 2 ranking in receiving yards this season, according to NFL on ESPN:

Rounding out a surging Pittsburgh offense is running back Le'Veon Bell. The second-year player has shown a great deal of improvement since his rookie season. He's recorded only one rushing touchdown this year, but he's averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, giving the Steelers a nicely balanced offense.

The Ravens are coming off of a down offensive performance. Quarterback Joe Flacco struggled against the Bengals, completing 17 of his 34 passing attempts for 195 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions and a passer rating of 43.1.

Russell Street Report tweeted Flacco's all-time record and hiccups against the Steelers:

Luckily for Baltimore, a two-headed monster has emerged in its backfield with a great combination of the speedy Justin Forsett and the bruising Lorenzo Taliaferro. Both of these running backs have the talent to pick up the slack if the passing game struggles.

The Ravens can always rely on their stout defense as well. The team is ranked seventh in the league against the run, giving up an average of 90.4 yards per game. Baltimore has the ability to make life difficult for opposing offenses by making them one-dimensional. This has propelled the team to rank second in points allowed, giving up just 16.4 per game.

Pittsburgh doesn't have quite as sturdy of an offense, ranking 21st in the league in the same category, allowing an average of 24.5 points per game. That number recently went up after the team allowed 34 points to Andrew Luck and the Colts in Week 8.

This rivalry has always been fun to watch, and PFT on NBCSN tweeted the all-time numbers in Pittsburgh:

So, which squad has the upper hand in this one?

It's a tough call, as both of these teams have been rather inconsistent this season. Still, the edge here has to go to Pittsburgh. After several down performances earlier in the season, this team appears to have righted the ship. The team is riding a huge wave of momentum and are facing a Ravens team that is coming off a poor showing against another division foe.

The Steelers have played well at home for the most part this season, holding a record of 3-1 at Heinz Field entering Week 9. That number will move to 4-1 after a close contest on Sunday night.

Prediction: Steelers 27, Ravens 23