Thursday Night Football Week 1: TV Info, Live Stream for Steelers vs. Patriots

The march to Super Bowl 50 begins with a meeting between two historic franchises on Thursday Night Football, when the Pittsburgh Steelers meet the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium.

It's a showdown sure to set the tone for the season. Tom Brady is back in the fold with the defending champions at home, an all-is-right outlook if there ever was one.

Ben Roethlisberger and Co. take a new-look roster to the national spotlight in the hopes of continuing the climb after an 11-win campaign topped by an AFC North crown and a wild-card appearance.

As much as these two franchises are the same as usual, much has changed beneath the surface. Here's everything to know about the showdown.

Viewing Info

When: Thursday September 10, 8:30 p.m. ET

Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Television: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Live Extra

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Betting Lines (via Odds Shark):

• Over/Under: 51.5

• Spread: New England (-7)

Team Injury Reports

Player	Position	Status
Maurkice Pouncey	C	Out

Player	Position	Status
Bryan Stork	OL	Out
Travaris Cadet	RB	Questionable

Injury reports via ESPN.

New Era and Losses

Don Wright/Associated Press

No franchise escapes the dead of offseason unchanged, but some undergo transformations akin to surgical procedures.

Known historically for defense, the Steelers lost coordinator Dick LeBeau this offseason while the front office also watched as longtime staples Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and Brett Keisel departed.

Of course, the intention is to better stop the run and have more speed as a unit, but it's been an iffy experiment so far after the Steelers went 1-4 in the preseason while allowing an average of more than 350 yards per game.

Defensive coordinator Keith Butler urged his team to focus on controlling what they can.

"We've got some good players, there's no sense in changing most of this stuff," Butler said,per ESPN.com. "We think there are some adjustments we can make that can help our guys go and be aggressive."

It sounds easy to wave off. Roethlisberger will bail out his team, right? The man had a 103.3 rating last year with 4,952 yards and 32 scores. One problem: Maurkice Pouncey is out and wideout Martavis Bryant (549 yards, eight scores in 2014) and back Le'Veon Bell (2,215 total yards and 11 total scores) will watch from the sidelines due to suspensions.

Going to Foxborough and escaping with a win is never easy. In fact, the Steelers have never beaten Brady at home. If they are going to change this, it will take the mettle of a champion.

Losses and Emotions

Despite the turnover experienced by the opponent, the Patriots might have had it worse, both from a mental and personnel standpoint.

Folks know all about the off-field drama surrounding the Patriots by now, but it's important to note it has taxed the organization and its players. So too have the losses both in the offseason and up to this week, which have mostly been swept under the rug.

In no particular order, the Patriots are now missing or have lost:

• Wideout Brandon LaFell and center Bryan Stork (injuries)
• Backs Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley (free agency), Jonas Gray (released) and LeGarrette Blount (suspended)
• Corners Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner and tackle Vince Wilfork (free agency)

Not to worry, though, right? This is Brady, who, as hinted, doesn't have much of an issue against the Steelers no matter who coordinates the defense or plays any of the 11 spots.

Just look at the numbers provided by NFL Network's Gil Brandt:

A home beginning against a hobbled team in transition sounds like a recipe for a great start.

For Brady and the Patriots, it's all about filling the gaps like they do most years and keeping silly "vengeance" narratives out of the mind.

Prediction

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

If Brady weren't under center Thursday night, this would have a whole different outcome. The fact is, though, the Patriots are just better off than the Steelers through all the changes.

The offense doesn't need a recognizable name in the backfield to find success and still touts Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski. The defense lost maybe the biggest name of all between the two teams (Revis) but still has great players such as Malcolm Butler and Devin McCourty.

Look for Brady to squeeze the most out of his offense at home against a struggling defense. Roethlisberger will be able to keep it close, but without the threat of Bell, it just won't be enough to overcome years of history.

Prediction: Patriots 28, Steelers 24

Statistics courtesy of ESPN unless otherwise specified.