Steelers vs. 49ers: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Radio, Game Time and More

In what will be a departure from most of this season, Monday Night Football will actually feature a competitive game as the 10-3 San Francisco 49ers will host the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers. While both are assured playoff spots, this game is still huge for both teams.

The 49ers have already clinched the NFC West, but are desperately trying to hang on to the No. 2 spot in the NFC so they can receive a first-round bye in the postseason. The New Orleans Saints are hot on their tail after the 49ers loss against the Arizona Cardinals last week, so a win this week would be a major boost.

Pittsburgh is currently tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker as they beat the Steelers twice this season. Whichever team wins the division stands a good chance of receiving an all-important first-round bye, meaning the Steelers would certainly love to win on Monday.

Injuries could play a big role in this game as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker LaMarr Woodley are all questionable. If one or all of those players can't suit up, the Niners have a big advantage; otherwise this should be a fantastic, smash-mouth contest.

Where: Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Calif.

When: Monday, Dec. 19 at 8:30 p.m. EDT

Watch: ESPN

Listen: WDVE 102.5 FM (Pittsburgh) and KNBR 680 AM (San Francisco); Sirius XM Satellite Radio: XM 225 (Internet 885, Pittsburgh) and XM 226 (Internet 887, San Francisco)

Live Streaming Audio: NFL.com Audio Pass ($29.99 for year, $27.99 team specific, $9.99 a month)

Betting Line: San Francisco (-2.5)

Steelers Injury Report

Out: LB James Harrison (suspension)

Questionable: QB Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), WR Emmanuel Sanders (foot), WR Arnaz Battle (hamstring), DL Ziggy Hood (groin), LB LaMarr Woodley (hamstring), LB Chris Carter (hamstring), DB Troy Polamalu (hamstring)

49ers Injury Report

Questionable: LB Patrick Willis (hamstring), DB Dashon Goldson (hip)

Fantasy Start 'Em, Sit 'Em and Sleeper

Start: WR Mike Wallace (PIT) - The 49ers have an excellent defense to be sure, but against high-volume passing teams, they have given up some yardage through the air. Provided quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can play, the Steelers will likely spread the field and throw plenty. The main beneficiary will likely be No. 1 receiver Mike Wallace who already has over 1,000 yards and eight scores on the year.

Sit: RB Rashard Mendenhall (PIT) - Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall has just 710 yards with three games remaining, meaning he may not even cross the 1,000-yard threshold this season. Some of that had to do with an injury, but Mendenhall has generally been ineffective with just one 100-yard game to date. The 49ers lead the league in rushing defense and amazingly have yet to allow a rushing score this year, so it may be best to bench Mendenhall on your fantasy team.

Sleeper: TE Heath Miller (PIT) - There isn't likely to be much offense in this game, but one guy possibly worth playing on a hunch is Steelers tight end Heath Miller. While Miller is far from an elite option, he is capable of having some fantasy-worthy performances. With the defense sure to be tight, I envision plenty of short passes from the Steelers with Miller seeing the bulk of them.

What They're Saying

A major storyline when the Steelers take on the 49ers on Monday night will be the absence of Steelers linebacker James Harrison. After an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit against Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last week, Harrison will be suspended for the game. As disappointed as head coach Mike Tomlin is that he'll be missing Harrison, he understands that the ruling had to be made, according to Gerry Dulac and Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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"Of course, the quarterback was out of the pocket," Tomlin said of the play during Thursday's game at Heinz Field. "He had tucked the ball. He had hurt us running pretty good to that point in the game. But really all of those things are irrelevant. He hit him. He hit him illegally, and he has to suffer the consequences."

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Steelers Player to Watch: WR Antonio Brown

The Steelers have long been considered a run-first team, but over the past couple seasons that hasn't been the case. One of the main reasons for the switch has been an infusion of exciting, young receivers like Antonio Brown. This season Brown is closing in on 1,000 yards and has supplanted Hines Ward as a starter.

Brown went off last week against the Cleveland Browns with 151 receiving yards and just his second touchdown of the season. The Niners are almost impossible to run on, so the Steelers will likely be slinging the ball around the field provided quarterback Ben Roethlisberger plays. Much of the attention goes to Mike Wallace on the other side, but Brown is extremely dangerous in his own right.

49ers Player to Watch: RB Kendall Hunter

Make no mistake, the 49ers' offense begins and ends with running back Frank Gore and he will likely be the reason why the Niners win or lose on Monday. With that said, however, Gore has a history of injuries and is currently being hampered by a multitude of them. Gore continues to gut it out and play, but he could use a rest every now and then.

That is where rookie back Kendall Hunter comes into play. Hunter hasn't been featured heavily, but when given the chance to touch the ball, he has made some things happen. While Gore is more of a power back at this point in his career, Hunter is a change of pace thanks to his athleticism. I expect Hunter to see 10-12 touches on Monday as the Niners try to keep the Steelers off balance.

Key Matchup: SF Running Game vs. PIT Defense

In all likelihood, Rashard Mendenhall and the Steelers' running game won't have much success against the 49ers' league-best run defense. That shouldn't be a big issue, though, as the Steelers have a great passing attack to fall back on. The same can't be said for the 49ers, though, as they live and die by the running game.

If Frank Gore is able to do some damage against Pittsburgh's defense, the Niners stand a very good chance of winning; if he is shut down, then the burden will shift to quarterback Alex Smith. While Smith is a good caretaker, he isn't going to win games by himself, so the Niners must establish the run.

On the Hot Seat: LB James Harrison

With two of the top teams in the league playing against each other, there aren't many players or coaches on the hot seat. One player who won't suit up for this game, however, is on a hot seat of sorts. Steelers linebacker James Harrison was suspended for Monday's game due to an illegal hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy last week.

Harrison is a repeat offender and his actions are growing old in the eyes of the league office. While they won't come out and say it, I have to believe the Steelers' organization is getting tired of it too. I'm not saying that the Steelers will cut Harrison or anything outrageous, but he really needs to clean up his act in order to better represent the team.

Prediction

Steelers 17, 49ers 13