The Pittsburgh Steelers expect to have Ben Roethlisberger back at quarterback Monday night at Indianapolis. Roethlisberger has missed three games after having knee surgery Nov. 3 but is listed as probable for the Steelers' third Monday night game in eight weeks. That means there's a 75 percent chance he will play. With Roethlisberger out, the Steelers beat Green Bay and Cleveland with Charlie Batch at quarterback. But when Batch broke a bone in his hand, Tommy Maddox stepped in and was ineffective in a 16-13 overtime loss Sunday in Baltimore. The Steelers are 7-3, but are 0-2 when Maddox starts. Pittsburgh's first loss in five weeks left the Steelers three games behind the unbeaten Colts in the race for home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Steelers and Bengalsare tied for the AFC North lead, with the Bengals playing Baltimore this weekend.

Former starting cornerback Willie Williams re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday after being released earlier in the week. The Steelers cut Williams so they could activate tight end Matt Kranchick to play Sunday night against Cleveland, but Kranchick was waived Saturday. Williams, a 13-season veteran, spent most of last season as a Steelers starter, but lost his job to Ike Taylor late in training camp and was activated for only three of the team's first eight games.

Tommy Maddox may go from being a fill-in starter to a No. 3 quarterback to a backup to a fill-in starter again, all in slightly more than a month's time. Maddox, who lost his starter's job a year ago to Ben Roethlisberger and his backup job this season to poor performance, took the majority of the snaps with the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense Wednesday in practice and could start Sunday in Baltimore. Roethlisberger still hopes to play after missing two games following knee surgery Nov. 3, but said he can't be 100 percent by Sunday. Coach Bill Cowher has already warned him about rushing back. "Coach said if you go out there too early and get hurt, it negates the whole purpose of having the surgery," said Roethlisberger, who had damaged cartilage removed from his right knee Nov. 3. "We're going to be smart about it. I'm not going to go out there if I can't protect myself, and put the team in jeopardy."

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw some passes Tuesday, normally a day off for players, and is listed as questionable for Pittsburgh's game at Baltimore. If Roethlisberger can't return Sunday after missing two games following surgery to his right knee Nov. 3, Tommy Maddox will become the Steelers' third starting quarterback in four games. Coach Bill Cowher said Tuesday he won't know more about Roethlisberger's status until he sees him in practice, which resumes Wednesday. Charlie Batch started and won the Steelers' last two games, but broke a bone in his right hand during a 34-21 victory over Cleveland last Sunday night and will miss at least one game. Batch had an excellent first half before getting hurt, completing 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards in only his second start in four seasons.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch broke his right hand on a 1-yard touchdown run late in the first half Sunday night against Cleveland and did not return to the game. Batch, making his second start in as many weeks for the injured Ben Roethlisberger, was replaced in the second half by Tommy Maddox. Batch, shaky the week before while throwing for 65 yards in a 20-10 win at Green Bay, played an excellent first half, completing 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards and running three times for 16 yards. His 1-yard quarterback sneak came 6 seconds before halftime, but he broke a metacarpal bone on the play and spent the second half on the sideline with his hand wrapped in a towel.

Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw said Wednesday he wants to put a potential ownership group together that would attempt to buy the New Orleans Saints and keep them in Louisiana, where Bradshaw grew up. "I'm supporting the citizens of Louisiana who don't deserve to lose the Saints because of a hurricane," said Bradshaw, who starred for Louisiana Tech before winning four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bradshaw, now an NFL analyst for the Fox network, was in Shreveport for his induction into the city's Walk of Stars. He also viewed the installation of the first sign marking the new "Terry Bradshaw Passway" on Shreveport's inner highway loop. Bradshaw told The Times of Shreveport that he doesn't have the money to buy the team himself. He said he has sought out additional investors, but did not name them. He is not sure whether Saints owner Tom Benson is interested selling at this time, however. "I have pursued other avenues to find out if Mr. Benson would be interested in selling the Saints," Bradshaw said. "I had to make sure I lined up the money. You've got to find out what Mr. Benson wants first."

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger won't play for the second week in a row as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery. Charlie Batch, who made his first start in four years in a 20-10 victory last Sunday in Green Bay, will go again Sunday night against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh. After Roethlisberger had surgery last week to remove damaged cartilage from his right knee, coach Bill Cowher said he would be out 10 to 14 days but might return as early as this week. Batch was 9-of-16 for 65 yards and was intercepted once against the Packers after previously throwing only eight passes since joining the Steelers in 2002.

Steelers running back Willie Parker left the team's game midway through the third quarter with the Green Bay Packers after injuring his left ankle. Parker, who has topped 100 yards in three of the Steelers' seven games, had just five carries for 13 yards when he left the game with Pittsburgh leading 13-10. He took a handoff to the right and was tackled in the backfield for a 2-yard loss by linebacker Robert Thomas. Parker's return was questionable. Steelers linebacker James Farrior also left the game in the third quarter and was questionable after injuring his left knee, and Packers defensive tackle Corey Williams fell awkwardly away from the play on Duce Staley 's 2-yard run. He left the field gingerly with a calf injury. His return was also questionable.

Duce Staley is going to carry the ball for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday for the first time in almost 11 months. The Steelers and their running back can only hope his return was worth the wait. With Jerome Bettis not expected to play because of a quadriceps injury, Staley will be activated for only the second time this season when the Steelers visit Green Bay on Sunday. He missed all but one day of training camp following knee surgery and has been on the field for only a couple of snaps this season. Staley has yet to carry the ball. Staley has rushed for 5,637 yards and 23 touchdowns in parts of eight NFL seasons. With quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out following arthroscopic knee surgery, Pittsburgh was already shorthanded on offense. "We all have faith in Duce to step in and get the job done," said Willie Parker, who leads the team with three 100-yard rushing performances in seven games. "The running game will be ready, just as it always is, and we'll be ready to run even more without Ben in there."

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss one game and possibly two after arthroscopic knee surgery Thursday. A piece of torn cartilage was removed from his right knee. Coach Bill Cowher said Roethlisberger will definitely miss Sunday's game against Green Bay. But it's possible he'll return as early as the Steelers' game Nov. 13 against Cleveland, even though the operation normally sidelines a player 10 to 14 days. Roethlisberger, who missed a loss Oct. 16 to Jacksonville with a hyperextended left knee, initially hurt his right knee Sept. 11 against Tennessee. The right knee bothered him again after his shoe stuck in the turf as he was being hit by Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson during the first quarter of the Steelers' 20-19 victory Monday night. Roethlisberger stayed in the game and directed a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal, but only after telling Cowher the right knee was bothering him and he might have to take himself out of the game. Roethlisberger had an MRI exam Tuesday, and the Steelers decided to go ahead with the operation after consulting with specialist James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. "Ben wants to play through everything," Cowher said Thursday. "He's been very cooperative and he understands it, and he's handled this well. He felt good yesterday and wanted to practice today."