NBC VIDEO

Roethlisberger hurt in motorcycle crash June 13: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in serious but stable condition after breaking his jaw and nose in a motorcycle crash. NBC's Mike Taibbi reports.

/

But somehow, Terry Bradshaw avoided offseason mishaps through four Super Bowls. So did Joe Montana. If Roethlisberger doesn’t park that bike in a garage for the rest of his career, he’s probably won his last Super Bowl whether he ever gets hurt again or not. It wouldn’t mean that much to him.

Q: I was a little surprised not to see the Redskins in the top five most-improved NFL teams, but maybe they are No. 6 or 7 or maybe I am just overrating them. How much improvement do you think they made and is it enough to get them deeper in to the playoffs?
— Robert Edwards, Ellicott City, Md.
A: The Redskins always appear to do more than they actually do. They sometimes seem to change for the sake of change. The best thing they did was provide two receivers to complement Santana Moss, but San Francisco was happy to see Brandon Lloyd go and Pittsburgh didn’t go overboard to try to keep Antwaan Randle El. They got rid of quarterback Patrick Ramsey and replaced him with Todd Collins, mainly so he could help former Kansas City offensive coordinator Al Saunders implement a new system. This change could backfire because it will require starting quarterback Mark Brunell and other veterans to learn a complicated system that usually takes time to perfect. Safety Adam Archuleta has a bad back but could complement Sean Taylor. Andre Carter is supposed to replace LaVar Arrington at either end or linebacker. At least Carter will do what he’s told. I just can’t see them getting to the Super Bowl this season.

Q: Has any quarterback in recent memory been treated as shabbily as Tennessee has treated Steve McNair given McNair’s track record?
— Don Gilbert, Phoenix
A: It’s an unfortunate byproduct of today’s system more than anything else. I’m guessing both sides saw this coming the minute McNair signed a contract that required a salary cap for 2006 of $23 million with a $9 million base salary. That’s unrealistic and both sides had to know the contract would either be renegotiated or the parties would part ways. These types of contracts are almost liked planned divorces and can sometimes get messy. Under the rules of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Titans would be responsible for paying McNair if he got hurt on club property, so McNair and his agent forced the issue. It really works out best for all in the end. The Titans are rebuilding and drafted Vince Young. The Ravens believe McNair is an upgrade, even at the tail end of his career. McNair got another big payday that he wouldn’t have got in Tennessee. The Titans get a draft choice. It’s not a storybook finish to a stellar career, but business deals usually aren’t all warm and fuzzy.

Q: Who do you think will be a team that makes some noise that nobody is mentioning?
— Justin, Spokane, Wash.
A: I think Miami has a chance to sneak up on people, especially if Daunte Culpepper is healthy. In Chris Chambers and Ronnie Brown and Randy McDaniel, the Dolphins have offensive weapons. In top draft pick Jason Allen, they got a safety-cornerback who could make a quick impact. Even if Culpepper is slow to recover, new backup Joey Harrington is better than what they’ve had at quarterback. Coach Nick Saban was 9-7 in his debut season and added defensive coordinator Dom Capers from Houston and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey from Buffalo, two former head coaches. If the Patriots provide any kind of opening in the AFC East, the Dolphins are going to be ready to grab it.

More news

NBC Sports

Which teams are under pressure?

  SportsTalk: Are the Ravens, Cowboys, Eagles or Chargers under the most pressure to win now? We debate it.

PFT: Union sues NFL for collusion  |  Doomed?

Headlines

• Label

PFT Live: Seahawks defend picking Irvin

Manning, Giants focused as they return to field

PFT: Bears' Marshall wants apology

SportsTalk: Plenty of offseason questions

PFT: Goodell says bounty evidence will be public

Florio explains the NFL's latest moves

PFT: Browns' Fujita says bounty charges 'not true'

PFT: Packers' Driver wins 'Dancing with the Stars'