Tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC the Steelers will kick off the 2015 NFL season when they take on the defending champion Patriots in a matchup that can be live streamed free by clicking this link. Steelers fans can listen to the game on 102.5 WDVE, while Patriots fans will find the radio broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

The Patriots have dominated offseason headlines thanks to QB Tom Brady's Deflategate scandal, a saga which first entered the news cycle after the AFC Championship Game, and wasn't resolved until last week. Brady is now free to play, and the Steelers' lack of star power is under the microscope.

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Pittsburgh enters play as the biggest underdog of the week; they are seven-point underdogs, mainly because they'll be missing star RB Le'Veon Bell, suspended for two games, and explosive wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who is suspended for four games.

There are also mental hurdles to overcome, such as the Steelers having never beaten Brady in Foxborough, and losing those games by an average of 20 points.

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"We're not going to say this is more important than any other game," Pittsburgh defensive end Cam Heyward said. "It's the first game. We're just looking to put it all together on Thursday. It's a hostile environment that truly loves their team.

"We want to be able to go on the road and win games like that, so this is a great test for our team."