Thanksgiving Day wraps up with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Indianapolis Colts in a special holiday edition of Sunday Night Football. The game will be televised on NBC and viewers can stream it online at NBC Sports’ website.
Steelers vs. Colts live stream: How to watch a Thanksgiving edition of ‘Sunday Night Football’ online
Unfortunately, Indy will likely be without Andrew Luck this week.
The Steelers are 5-5 and tied with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North. Baltimore currently owns the head-to-head tiebreaker, but these teams will have their rematch in Week 16. The Colts are also 5-5 and one game behind the Houston Texans, who lost in Mexico City on Monday night. Both teams need a win to keep their playoff hopes afloat.
This game was originally set up as a showdown between Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck, but the injury bug had other ideas. Luck was entered in the concussion protocol on Monday and is extremely unlikely to be cleared in time for Thursday’s game. Scott Tolzien will get the start in his place, which is a significant hit to Indy’s offense.
Tolzien spent several years with the Green Bay Packers as Aaron Rodgers’ backup QB. His last significant playing time came in 2013, when Rodgers missed time with an injury. Tolzien made three appearances that season and started two games, completing 61.1 percent of his passes for 717 yards, one touchdown, and five interceptions. The Packers went 0-2-1 with him under center before Rodgers made his return, rallying the team to a division title down the stretch.
Needless to say, Tolzien didn’t look like an NFL-caliber starter in his brief cup of coffee in Green Bay. The Colts will likely lean on Frank Gore to keep the offense on schedule, and the 33-year-old running back just might be up to the task. He’s taken 163 carries for 642 yards and four touchdowns this season, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Tolzien does have quality weapons at wideout in T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Phillip Dorsett, but in all likelihood the Colts will struggle to move the ball Thursday night.
That’s bad news for the defense, which is 30th in yards allowed per game and 26th in points allowed per game. Now they have to try stopping Roethlisberger and the Steelers’ explosive offense, something that few teams succeeded at this year.
After looking rusty in his Week 9 return from knee surgery, Big Ben has been on fire since then. The Steelers had little trouble putting away the Cleveland Browns in Week 11, and with winds whipping around the stadium, head coach Mike Tomlin decided against airing the ball out. Roethlisberger threw for just 167 yards, but he didn’t have to do much with Le’Veon Bell chewing up the Browns’ defense.
Bell’s season got a late start thanks to a four-game drug suspension, but he’s back to being one of the best running backs in the league. Through seven games, he has 579 rushing yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. He’s also a dynamic weapon in the passing game, racking up 53 catches for 415 yards and an additional touchdown. With the trio of Ben, Bell, and Antonio Brown all healthy, the Steelers’ high-flying offense will be sure to wake up fans from their turkey coma.
How to watch
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
Place: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
TV: NBC
Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Heather Cox
Online: NBC Sports Live
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