Ben Roethlisberger and Ray Lewis frequently exchange text messages. "He texted me last night and things like that,'' Lewis said on a conference call this morning with members of the Pittsburgh media who cover the Steelers. "It's a respect we have for each other, but more importantly it's a respect you got to have for yourself." Lewis said he and Roethlisberger have been in contact since the Pittsburgh quarterback was accused of sexual assault in March. Lewis said he advised Roethlisberger to put his troubles behind him and move ahead. "You're not trying to please the world; if you're trying to please the world you're going to confuse yourself,'' Lewis said today. "If you're going to worry what people say about you, you're going to confuse yourself. "All you can do is move on, live on and whatever he puts behind him as a man, and he puts behind him whatever he's going through, leave it there. Don't let nobody pull you back into it, don't let nobody make you keep talking about it. Once it's done, it's done."

Ben Roethlisberger's suspension will end after Week 4 and the Pittsburgh quarterback has been training to make his return seamless. George Whitfield, a quarterback coach from San Diego, was hired by Roethlisberger's agent, Ryan Tollner, to work privately with Roethlisberger for his four weeks away from the Steelers. Whitfield commutes from California each week and tries to simulate a regular Wednesday-Thursday-Friday practice week at a high school in Pittsburgh. Sometimes Roethlisberger throws to the likes of former NFLer Devard Darling, who lives in the area, and sometimes he uses high school kids. Whitfield puts Roethlisberger through two-hour workouts, which are taped, and then he and Roethlisberger go over the tape to see how he might make slight improvements. "He likes the fact that this is like a one-month mechanics camp,'' Whitfield said. "He's a very self-aware quarterback. He'll say, 'I pat the ball, I overstride, sometimes I'm sloppy in my drop -- let's work on those things,' '' Whitfield said. "I think he's been very happy to be able to take some time to work on things he believes will make him a better player.''

Bill Cowher doesn't regret stepping down as head coach of the Steelers, but he admits to missing coaching. "With every year, there becomes a little bit more of a void because you do miss it," said Cowher. "But I had a chance these last few years to spend some very special time with the women in my life. For that, I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever for walking away."

Antwaan Randle El, who starred as a quarterback in college at Indiana, will again serve as the Steelers' emergency signal-caller Sunday. "We also have Arnaz Battle, who was a quarterback at Notre Dame, and Hines (Ward) threw for (more than) 400 yards in the Peach Bowl one year," Tomlin said.

One source close to the situation told the Post-Gazette that Dennis Dixon has a torn lateral meniscus, which could keep him out 3-5 weeks. Byron Leftwich was signed again by the Steelers on Monday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released quarterback Byron Leftwich so they can dress an additional defensive lineman for Sunday's game at Tennessee. Leftwich is expected to return to the 53-man roster on Monday. He already is guaranteed his full salary this season. With nose tackle Casey Hampton (hamstring) injured, the Steelers were down to two backup defensive lineman. Leftwich's roster spot will be taken by Steve McLendon, a first-year player from Troy State.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has confirmed that Dennis Dixon will start at quarterback for the team again this weekend. Byron Leftwich may return to practice this week, but Tomlin is sticking with Dixon. He didn't play particularly well in Pittsburgh's Week 1 game against Atlanta, but the team did win. "There were some situations early in the game where he was delivering the ball to the appropriate target, but it was falling short," Tomlin said. "I thought as the game wore on, he was creating a little bit. I thought him stepping up in the pocket and hitting Hines [Ward] on a third-and-9-plus was the signature play of the game. Of course, we're going with him because we feel he's going to continue to evolve."

There were a number of milestones hit on Sunday in Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season with Sam Bradford throwing his first touchdown pass, Tony Gonzalez catching his 1,000th pass and Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens climbing the all-time receiving list. New Orleans 14, Minnesota 9 Trench Counter: Saints +8.7, Vikings -8.7 The defending-champion New Orleans Saints (1-0) opened up their title defense with an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings (0-1) at the Superdome in a rematch of last January's NFC Championship Game. Drew Brees went 27-for-36 with 237 yards and a touchdown, while Pierre Thomas led the Saints on the ground with 71 yards and a score on 19 carries. Marques Colston hauled in a team-high 62 yards and Devery Henderson connected with Brees on a 29-yard score on the game's first drive. Brett Favre and the Vikings looked confused on offense as the ageless quarterback went 15-for-27 with 171 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Adrian Peterson didn?t fumble, but he only gained 87 yards and didn?t reach the end zone. Visanthe Shiancoe was Minnesota?s lone offense star, catching four passes for 76 yards and a score. Miami 15, Buffalo 10 Trench Counter: Dolphins +11.4, Bills -11.4 The Miami Dolphins (1-0) kicked of the season with a road victory over the division-rival Buffalo Bills (0-1). Miami was led by the two-headed running attack of Ronnie Brown (65 yards and a touchdown) and Ricky Williams (62 yards). Brandon Marshall made his Dolphins debut with eight catches for 53 yards. Chad Henne went 21-for-34 with 182 yards at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Miami?s defense sacked Trent Edwards three times. Edwards went 18-for-34 with 139 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 31-yard pass to Roscoe Parrish in the fourth quarter. Buffalo rookie C.J. Spiller was the team?s starting running back, but he managed just six yards on seven tries. The Dolphins held the Bills in check on the ground, as Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch combined for just 32 yards on seven carries. Buffalo sacked Henne three times, but Miami?s ground game gave them the advantage. Chicago 19, Detroit 14 Trench Counter: Bears +12.9, Lions -12.9 The Detroit Lions (0-1) thought they had a dramatic victory to open the 2010 NFL season, but Calvin Johnson?s potential game-winning score was ruled incomplete when he failed to fully control the ball before going out of bounds. A booth review confirmed the decision with less than a minute remaining. Jay Cutler started the season on a right foot, going 23-for-35 with 372 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Matt Forte rushed for 50 yards, but started as a receiver catching seven passes for 151 yards and two scores. Detroit?s Matt Stafford went 11-for-15 with 83 yards before leaving the game with an injured shoulder. Shaun Hill stepped in for Stafford and went 9-for-19 with 88 yards, including the would-be game-winner to Johnson. Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best accumulated just 20 yards on 14 rushes, but he found the end zone twice in his professional debut. The two teams combined to lose five fumbles. Houston 34, Indianapolis 24 Trench Counter: Texans +1.5, Colts -1.5 The Houston Texans (1-0) made a huge statement with a big win over the division-rival Indianapolis Colts (0-1) at Reliant Stadium. Matt Schaub went 9-for-17 with 107 yards, one touchdown and an interception as Houston relied on their ground attack. Arian Foster starred with 231 yards and three touchdowns as he gashed through the defense of Indianapolis. Andre Johnson had just three catches for 33 yards. Peyton Manning gave his usual effort, but was let down by his defense. Manning went 40-for-57 with 433 yards and three touchdowns as the Colts tried to get back in the game after failing behind in the first quarter. Indianapolis ran the ball just 10 times and Joseph Addai recorded 44 yards. There were a lot of yards to go around and Austin Collie (131 yards and a score), Reggie Wayne (99 yards and a score), Dallas Clark (80 yards and a touchdown) and Pierre Garcon (four catches for 75 yards) all benefited. Jacksonville 24, Denver 17 Trench Counter: Jaguars +5.6, Broncos -5.6 The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) showed some resolve against the visiting Denver Broncos (0-1) on Sunday afternoon. David Garrard was nearly perfect, going 16-for-21 with 170 yards and three touchdowns. Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 23 times for 98 yards and Mike Thomas led Jacksonville in receiving with six catches for 89 yards. Tight end Marcedes Lewis caught two of Garrard?s scoring strikes and Kassim Osgood hauled in the third. The game was delayed 33 minutes due to lightning in the area. Kyle Orton starred off well, but didn?t find the end zone after a eight-yard touchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney in the first quarter. Orton finished 21-for-33 with 295 yards, a score and an interception. Brandon Lloyd starred with five catches for 117 yards. Denver?s No. 2 quarterback, rookie Tim Tebow, had an unspectacular debut. He rushed twice and tallied just two yards. He did not attempt a pass. Knowshon Moreno was more successful on the ground with 60 yards and a touchdown. New England 38, Cincinnati 24 Trench Counter: Patriots +3.9, Bengals -3.9 The New England Patriots (1-0) jumped out in front of the Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) early on and never really looked back. Tom Brady had 258 yards and threw three touchdown passes, including a pair to wide receiver Wes Welker (eight receptions for 64 yards). Brady also hooked up with rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski on a one-yard pass in the fourth quarter. With the lead secure in the second half, New England saw Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk and BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for a combined 116 yards on 22 carries. Carson Palmer looked great at times and horrible at others. He went 34-for-50 with 345 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Chad Ochocinco was Cincinnati?s top offensive star, hauling in 12 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown with a majority coming in the second half with New England in control. Terrell Owens (seven receptions for 53 yards) and rookie Jordan Shipley (five catches for 82 yards) both had pretty good debuts with the Bengals. Cedric Benson was largely held in check by the Patriots, rushing for 43 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. New York Giants 31, Carolina 18 Trench Counter: Giants +10.8, Panthers -10.8 Eli Manning clearly has good chemistry with young wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. The New York Giants (1-0) opened the season with an at-times dominant win over the Carolina Panthers (0-1) thanks to three touchdown connections between Manning (20-for-30 with 263 and three picks as well) and Nicks (four catches for 75 yards). Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combined to rush for 120 yards and a touchdown. New York sacked Matt Moore four times and intercepted his on three occasions. Jimmy Clausen threw two passes in his first professional game as Moore struggled mightily. Moore went 14-for-33 with 182 yards, one score and the three aforementioned picks. Clausen did not complete either of his attempts. DeAngelo Williams rushed for 62 yards on 16 carries, including a 29-yard burst. Carolina?s Steve Smith (five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown) outplayed New York?s version (five catches for 43 yards). Pittsburgh 15, Atlanta 9 (OT) Trench Counter: Steelers +7.9, Falcons -7.9 Rashard Mendenhall scampered 50 yards for the game-winning touchdown to give the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) a thrilling victory over the Atlanta Falcons (0-1) at Heinz Field. Mendenhall finished with 120 yards on 22 carries, which helped lessen the load of starting quarterback Dennis Dixon. Filling in for the suspended Ben Roethlisberger, Dixon went 18-for-26 with 236 yards and an interception. Hines Ward was Dixon?s top target, catching six passes for 108 yards. Pittsburgh?s swarming defense kept Matt Ryan in check. He went 27-for-44 with 252 yards and an interception. Roddy White led Atlanta with 13 receptions and 111 yards. Michael Turner, looking to rebound from his disappointing 2009 campaign, opened the 2010 season with 42 yards on 19 attempts. Mendenhall?s touchdown was the first non-field goal score of the game. Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 14 Trench Counter: Buccaneers -0.7, Browns +0.7 Josh Freeman hooked up with Michael Spurlock for a 33-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) a season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns (0-1) at Raymond James Stadium. Freeman went 17-for-28 with 182 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Cadillac Williams led the Buccaneers in rushing with 75 yards, while Freeman added 34 yards on two scampers. Jake Delhomme started with a bang for the Browns, but struggled as time ticked on. He found Mohamed Massaquoi for a 41-yard score in the first quarter but finished the game 20-for-37 with 227 yards, one score and two interceptions. Evan Moore led Cleveland in receiving with three catches and 87 yards. The Browns were led on the ground by Jerome Harrison (52 yards) and Peyton Hillis (41 yards and a touchdown). Tennessee 38, Oakland 13 Trench Counter: Titans +8.3, Raiders -8.3 Chris Johnson and the Tennessee Titans (1-0) started the 2010 season where the 2009 campaign left off with a ton of yards and a victory. Johnson ran for 142 yards and two scores as the Titans handled the Oakland Raiders (0-1) without much difficulty. Javon Ringer rushed five times for 33 yards and a score as well. Vince Young went 13-for-17 with 154 yards and two scores in a game he managed almost perfectly. Nate Washington led the Titans in receiving with 88 yards and a score. Jason Campbell didn?t have a horrible debut for Oakland, going 22-for-37 with 180 yards and an interception, but his defense certainly didn?t do him any favors. Darren McFadden showed flashes of his former first-round potential with 95 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards and a touchdown in the loss. Green Bay 27, Philadelphia 20 Trench Counter: Packers +1.6, Eagles -1.6 The Green Bay Packers (1-0) defeated the Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) at Lincoln Financial Field in a game that was marred by injuries. The Eagles lost Kevin Kolb (5-for-10 with 24 yards) to a concussion and he was replaced by Michael Vick (175 yards and a touchdown) in the second half. Vick also rushed for 103 yards and LeSean McCoy added 82 total yards and a score. Philadelphia also lost fullback Leonard Weaver (leg) and linebacker Stewart Bradley (concussion) in the first half. Aaron Rodgers went 19-for-31 with 188 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Greg Jennings was Green Bay?s top receiver with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Grant left the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter and he didn?t return. Brandon Jackson took over the rushing duties, tallying 63 yards on 18 carries. The Packers? defense hurried Kolb and Vick all afternoon, recording five sacks and forcing a fumble. Seattle 31, San Francisco 6 Trench Counter: Seahawks +11.2, 49ers -11.2 The Seattle Seahawks (1-0) started off the Pete Carroll era with a victory over the San Francisco 49ers (0-1) at Qwest Field. Matt Hasselbeck went 18-for-23 with 170 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Hasselbeck also scrambled for a one-yard touchdown in the first half. Justin Forsett tallied 43 rushing yards on seven carries, while Mike Williams led Seattle in receiving with four catches for 64 yards. Alex Smith struggled in the season opener, going 26-for-45 with 225 yards and two interceptions. Frank Gore struggled as well, running 17 times for 38 yards on the road. Vernon Davis, who signed a lucrative extension on Saturday, led the 49ers offensively with eight catches for 73 yards. Arizona 17, St. Louis 13 Trench Counter: Cardinals +5.1, Rams -5.1 The Arizona Cardinals (1-0) topped the St. Louis Rams (0-1) in a close game at Edward Jones Stadium. Derek Anderson, who went 22-for-41 with 297 yards and a touchdown, found Larry Fitzgerald for the game-winning score midway through the fourth quarter. Tim Hightower and LaRod Stephens-Howling combined for 103 yards and a score. While Fitzgerald caught a touchdown, Steve Breaston led the Cardinals in receiving with seven catches and 132 yards. Rams rookie quarterback Sam Bradford went 32-for-55 with 253 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions, including one that ended the game. Mark Clayton, who St. Louis acquired just this week, led the team in receiving with 10 catches and 119 yards. Laurent Robinson caught Bradford?s first touchdown pass. Steven Jackson rushed for 81 yards on 22 carries. Washington 13, Dallas 7 Trench Counter: Redskins +0.7, Cowboys -0.7 Donovan McNabb didn?t throw a touchdown pass, but his debut with the Washington Redskins (1-0) was a successful won due to a win over the Dallas Cowboys (0-1) on Sunday night. McNabb went 15-for-32 with 171 yards as Washington?s defense stole the show. DeAngelo Hall returned a fumble for a 32-yard touchdown late in the second quarter for the team?s only touchdown. Clinton Portis had 63 rushing yards and Santana Moss had 80 receiving yards to lead the team. Tony Romo was more productive than McNabb, going 31-for-47 with 282 yards and a touchdown. Romo hit Miles Austin for a four-yard touchdown in the third quarter that brought the Cowboys to within a field goal momentarily. Austin led all receivers with 10 receptions for 146 yards. Romo hit Roy Williams for what would have been a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, but it was nullified by a holding penalty.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't simply going to hand the starting job back to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger when his suspension is complete. Roethlisberger is suspended for the first four games of the season and Dennis Dixon will begin the season as Pittsburgh's starter. "I'm going to dodge that one and not artfully," Tomlin said when asked if Roethlisberger would immediately be given his job back. "I'm not going to back myself in a corner."

The Steelers selected their four captains on Monday, but quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not among them. Roethlisberger, who had been a captain since 2007, was suspended six games this season for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Pittsburgh's captains this year are receiver Hines Ward, tight end Heath Miller and linebackers James Farrior and Keyaron Fox.