New England Patriots Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 2019 NFL Week 1

Stop us if you've heard this before: The New England Patriots are ready to open their Super Bowl championship defense. The Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season Sunday, Sept. 8, at 8:20 p.m. The game will be televised on NBC's Sunday Night Football. The game can be heard on radio on 98.5 FM The Sports Hub.

Before the game, the team's sixth Super Bowl banner will be unfurled at Gillette Stadium. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are 4-1 when they raised their five previous banners — the lone loss coming in 2017 to the Chiefs. The Patriots will celebrate in front of the only other NFL franchise to win six championships: Pittsburgh.

Anticipation is high for the 2019 Patriots, who will try to break the tie and win a seventh Lombardi Trophy. There is no reason to think New England won't be competing in the Super Bowl again: The Patriots are the favorites in several sports books to repeat as champions.

That optimism will be on full display Sunday night. The Patriots are 5.5-point favorites against one of the few AFC teams who could pose a threat this season.

There are still tickets available for the game. Search Patriots tickets for the season opener and use the promo code PATCHTICKETS10 to get a 10 percent discount.

These are five questions heading into the Patriots 2019 season opener:

Who will catch Tom Brady's passes?

Injuries and suspensions could play into how fast a start the Patriots get off to — particularly in the passing game. Julian Edelman missed most of the preseason with a hand injury and looked to be in discomfort in the final exhibition game. First-round draft pick N'Keal Harry will miss at least the first half of the season with an ankle injury. Veteran tight end Ben Watson will miss the first four games after failing a drug test. Receiver Demaryius Thomas (hamstring) and tight end Matt LaCosse (ankle) were two of three players limited in Wednesday's practice. Oh, and no Gronk ... yet.

So the Patriots play Pittsburgh with Edelman, Phillip Dorsett and Josh Gordon — fresh off a drug ban — as Brady's top three options. The other two receivers who may play are undrafted rookies Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski.

Who will protect Tom Brady?

The Patriots have been slowly morphing into a team that leans more and more on the running game. A stout offensive line has been part of that the past two seasons, but there's reason for concern this year.

Isaiah Wynn, who missed all last season with an injury, is asked to protect Brady's blindside in his first NFL game. Ted Karras will have to step in for longtime starting center and team captain David Andrews, who will miss the year with blood clots in his lungs.

What's the strength of this Patriots team?

At 42, Brady is still considered one of the game's elite players. But experts are looking for New England to have one of the stingiest defenses in the league.

The linebacking corps, led by Dont'a Hightower and a returning Jamie Collins, is one of the best in the NFL. The secondary is anchored by one of the NFL's top cornerbacks in Stephon Gilmore. And the Patriots compensated for the loss of Trey Flowers by trading for pass-rushing demon Michael Bennett.

Are the Steelers still any good?

Pittsburgh has been one of the few AFC teams to give New England several tests over the past two decades. The only team with more wins than Pittsburgh since 2009 is New England. The Steelers lost perhaps the best running back (Le'Veon Bell) and receiver (Antonio Brown) in the league, but are expected to again have a high-powered offense steered by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh is likely to contend for another playoff spot.

What happened the last time these teams played?

The Steelers finally put the clamps on Brady, allowing a long touchdown pass on New England's first drive and only a field goal after that in a 17-10 win in Pittsburgh last season. While local and national pundits again proclaimed the Patriots on life support after the Week 15 loss, New England never lost again all season.