Joey Harrington was brought into Miami with the expectation that he would begin the season as the starter until Daunte Culpepper's leg was healthy, but the plan was scrapped after the former Vikings' quarterback made a quicker than expected recovery. Columnist Greg Stoda believes that they should make Harrington the starter until November.

Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga's son was sentenced to 120 days in jail for striking a pedestrian while driving drunk. Robert Ray Huizenga also was ordered to serve a year of house arrest and four years probation and will lose his license for 10 years, The Miami Herald reported. The 44-year-old Huizenga pleaded no contest last month to the felony DUI charge and a misdemeanor count of refusing to submit to a blood/breath test.

Former Dolphins safety Lance Schulters worked out with the New England Patriots on Monday, although he has yet to sign a deal. Schulters' name triggered a small controversy last week when a few of his ex-Dolphins teammates wondered if the safety might rejoin the secondary unit that had been struggling.

The Broncos are among several teams to have spoken to the agent for kick returner/wide receiver Quincy Morgan. Morgan's agent, Brian Overstreet, said he has spoken to Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist this past week. Overstreet has talked to the Dolphins and Vikings as well.

The Steelers needed two big plays from unlikely sources to pull out a season-opening victory behind their backup quarterback. Maybe Dolphins coach Nick Saban should be flagged for a costly delay, too. Tight end Heath Miller chugged his way down the Steelers' sideline on an 87-yard touchdown pass play midway through the fourth quarter, fill-in QB Charlie Batch's third scoring pass of the game, and the Super Bowl champions beat the Dolphins 28-17 Thursday night in the NFL's first game of the season. Ronnie Brown scored two touchdowns, but rushed for just 30 yards on 15 carries.

A near-death experience could not keep Ben Roethlisberger from missing the Steelers' season opener. His appendix will. A sudden ailment leaves the NFL's season opener on Thursday without its biggest star, and forces the Steelers to turn to Charlie Batch in their first meaningful game since winning the Super Bowl as they try to spoil Daunte Culpepper's debut with the Dolphins. "This is the situation we are being dealt and we are not asking for any pity nor are we going to make any excuses," Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher said after learning Roethlisberger would miss at least one game after needing an emergency appendectomy Sunday.

Wide receiver Charles Rogers had a workout Wednesday with Tampa Bay. When asked earlier this week, Saban didn't rule out the possibility of scheduling a workout with Rogers, who was waived by Detroit last weekend.

The Miami Dolphins have strengthened their depth at linebacker and likely their overall special teams play, too, with one move, signing veteran free agent Keith Adams, released by the Carolina Panthers over the weekend. Adams is expected to back up starter Channing Crowder at weakside linebacker, and can play the strong side as well. His biggest impact, however, might be on special teams, the area in which Adams has most excelled during his NFL career. A five-year veteran, Adams started all 16 games at weakside linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005 and responded with a career season, registering 101 tackles. He had made only seven starts in his previous four seasons in the league. As an unrestricted free agent this spring, Adams signed with Carolina, and was the early favorite in training camp to fill the vacancy at weakside linebacker created by the exit of former starter Will Witherspoon to St. Louis as a free agent. But Adams did not readily assimilate the Panthers' defensive scheme and was beaten out for the starting spot by former Green Bay Packers starter Na'il Diggs. In Adams, the Dolphins are getting an undersized but active player who has demonstrated improvement every season of his NFL career.

A day after he was cut, Marcus Vick was among eight players signed to the Miami Dolphins' practice squad Sunday. Coach Nick Saban, who cut Vick on Saturday to reach the regular-season roster limit, was pleased that no other NFL team claimed him. "Sometimes you've got to take a little risk, and we're happy it ended up like it ended up," Saban said of Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick's little brother.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, who has been bothered by a hamstring injury during the preseason, is questionable for the team's regular-season opener Thursday against Miami, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Steelers head coach Bill Cowher still expects Ward to practice today, and Ward's status could be changed during the week depending on his progress.