Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had an emergency appendectomy after becoming ill yesterday and will miss Thursday night's season opener against Miami.

Coach Bill Cowher is not certain how long Roethlisberger will be out following the quarterback's third operation in 10 months and second in 2 1/2 months. Roethlisberger began having pain and was vomiting yesterday morning, and was taken to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh for surgery after being examined by the team's medical staff.

"The surgery went well," Cowher said. "He is obviously going to be out this week and we will go week to week from there."

Charlie Batch, the former Lions starter who was 2-0 as a fill-in last season when Roethlisberger hurt his knee, will start against the Dolphins in the NFL's season-opening showcase game.

"This is why Charlie is here. Charlie will be fine," Cowher said. "It's a situation that can happen to any football team. You can go out there and have a starter go down, whether it's an ankle or something else of that nature. That's the nature of the business."

The appendix attack is yet another medical setback for Roethlisberger, who nearly died in a June 12 motorcycle accident only to make a remarkably fast recovery. He missed no practice time during training camp and played better in the preseason than he did last year, when he went on to lead the Steelers to their first Super Bowl victory in 26 years.

CHARGERS

LINEBACKER FOLEY SHOT THREE TIMES BY OFFICER

San Diego linebacker Steve Foley was shot near his upscale San Diego suburban house by an off-duty policeman early yesterday morning. Coach Marty Schottenheimer said the wounds were not life-threatening.

"All we're worried about is that he's OK," Schottenheimer said in a telephone interview.

Foley's agent, David Levine, said that Foley was shot three times and had surgery for wounds to his leg, arm and chest.

"He's out of danger at this point," Levine said.

The Chargers will open the season at Oakland on Sept. 11, the day Foley turns 31.

Sheriff's officials said the early morning shooting occurred after the off-duty Coronado police officer followed a suspected drunken driver weaving in and out of freeway traffic at speeds up to 90 mph. Authorities said the driver nearly collided with several other vehicles.

Foley stopped three times, sheriff's officials said. During one of the stops, Lisa Maree Gaut, a passenger in the vehicle, yelled at the officer, authorities said.

The shooting occurred after Foley got out of the vehicle near his home and began walking toward the officer, sheriff's officials said. Gaut got behind the wheel and drove next to Foley in the direction of the officer, the officials said.

The officer identified himself, authorities said, and warned Foley he was armed. He fired a warning shot, at which point Gaut steered the car at the officer, sheriff's officials said.

"The officer fired two rounds at the vehicle," sheriff's Lt. Dennis Brugos said. "The male then came at the officer and put his right hand by his waistband and the officer fired at him."

49ERS

LINEBACKER GREEN PICKED UP OFF WAIVERS

San Francisco claimed linebacker Roderick Green off waivers from Baltimore yesterday before adding five players from training camp to their practice squad.

Green, who played all 16 games as a backup for the Ravens last season, will be reunited with 49ers coach Mike Nolan — his defensive coordinator during his rookie season in 2004. Green can play both inside and outside in Nolan's schemes.

The 49ers added quarterback Gibran Hamdan, linebacker Bobby Iwuchukwu, fullback Zak Keasey, receiver C.J. Brewer and guard Tavares Washington to their practice squad.

ELSEWHERE

Hawai'i ties: Wayne Hunter, a former University of Hawai'i standout, was added to the Jacksonville Jaguars' practice squad yesterday. Hunter was released by the team Saturday. Also yesterday, Vaka Manupuna, a Saint Louis School alum, was added to the Washington Redskins' practice squad. He was released by the team Saturday.

Colts: Quarterback Shaun King was one of the veterans cut by Indianapolis, which announced its final roster yesterday, a day after the actual cuts were made. His release leaves the Colts with only Jim Sorgi behind Peyton Manning. Three former draft picks — defensive tackle Vincent "Sweet Pea" Burns, defensive end Jonathan Welsh and defensive back Von Hutchins — were among 25 players released by the Colts.

Patriots: New England claimed wide receiver Jonathan Smith off waivers, released wide receiver Bam Childress and placed six players on the practice squad yesterday.

NFL PREVIEW

By Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times

Second of a two-part series (teams listed in predicted order of finish)

NFC EAST
Giants have offense if Eli up to task
1. NEW YORK GIANTS
Quarterback Eli Manning has made 23 NFL starts and now's the time the Giants will really determine whether he can be as good as his big brother, Peyton. Eli looked very poised at times last season, but he came unglued down the stretch with four touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his last six games. Still, the Giants have more than their share of offensive weapons, beginning with Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey. They also have Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan, who combined for 26 sacks last season.

2. PHILADELPHIA
Was last season's 6-10 nightmare just a bump in the road or the first crumblings of an NFC powerhouse? A lot of things hinge on quarterback Donovan McNabb and how he recovers from the physical and emotional spin cycle he endured last season. He won't have a star receiver this season and running backs Brian Westbrook, Ryan Moats and Bruce Perry are all smallish and fast but not power backs. The defensive line is re-tooled with the addition of former Saints end Darren Howard and a stout rookie defensive tackle in Brodrick Bunkley. Now the Eagles need to find some linebackers.

3. DALLAS
Just about everyone expected the Terrell Owens experiment to blow up. It just seems to be happening sooner than anticipated. If the Cowboys can defuse the latest dust-up, though, they stand a good chance of having one of the NFC's more productive offenses. Running back Julius Jones should be solid, providing he isn't slowed by injuries the way he was his first two seasons. The defense is bigger, especially at linebacker, and in the eyes of Bill Parcells, bigger is better.

4. WASHINGTON
Joe Gibbs turned things around last season, following a 6-10 stinker with an 11-7 finish and the first trip to the playoffs since 1999. The Redskins have spent a lot of money in upgrades this off-season, and their offense should improve with new coordinator Al Saunders. But Washington has an old quarterback in Mark Brunell, who might not last the season. The defense should benefit from the addition of Andre Carter and the departure of LaVar Arrington, who had become a distraction.


NFC NORTH
Bears remain team to beat in division
1. CHICAGO
The Bears have all 22 starters back from a team that went 11-5 last season and won the division. There's no reason to believe they will slip, especially now that they have a safety net in backup quarterback Brian Griese. Chicago's NFC North rivals are in rebuilding mode with new coaches. That's very good news for a Bears team looking to make a deep push into the playoffs. On defense, Brian Urlacher gets most of the attention, and rightfully so, but don't overlook weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs, who had one fewer tackle last season with 170.

2. MINNESOTA
Say this about new coach Brad Childress: He knows what he wants. Shortly after getting the job, he sent Daunte Culpepper to Miami and named Brad Johnson the starting quarterback. In the months that followed, the Vikings added 10 veteran free agents, among them Seattle guard Steve Hutchinson, one of the best in the business. The team recently dumped troubled receiver Koren Robinson, who made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner last season. The Vikings added kicker Ryan Longwell, formerly of Green Bay, who shouldn't have troubles making field goals in cold road games.

3. GREEN BAY
Does Brett Favre have one more good year in him? How about Ahman Green? The answers to those questions will go a long way toward determining how well the Packers fare. Green Bay should do better than last season's 4-12 finish, but that depends on Favre, who's coming off the worst season of his career. His 29 interceptions were a dozen more than any other NFL quarterback. Of course, he didn't get much help from a depleted offensive line.

4. DETROIT
The Lions should be more disciplined under new coach Rod Marinelli than they were under Steve Mariucci. But will that translate into victories? Probably not. Detroit has a new offensive coordinator in Mike Martz, although it's unlikely he'll be able to replicate the "greatest show on turf" pyrotechnics he brought to St. Louis. After all, he's dealing with quarterback Jon Kitna, who's a great backup but leaves something to be desired as a starter.


NFC SOUTH
Panthers are eyeing Super Bowl run
1. CAROLINA
The Panthers have bulked up their offensive and defensive lines in hopes of at least reaching the NFC championship game for the third time in four years. They should make another strong run at the Super Bowl on the heels of last season's 13-6 finish. Quarterback Jake Delhomme is coming off his first Pro Bowl and receiver Steve Smith might be the most explosive player in the league. If DeShaun Foster can get and stay healthy, he's always a threat for a monster game. If there's a weakness on Carolina's defense it's at linebacker, where the only returning starter is Dan Morgan.

2. ATLANTA
Key to the Falcons' success is how well Michael Vick makes the transition from scrambler to pure passer. He had his troubles last season, finishing 25th in passing efficiency with a 55 percent completion rate. Atlanta led the league in rushing, getting 1,416 yards from Warrick Dunn, who made the Pro Bowl. The real push this off-season involved improving the defense. They added two stars to the line: Simeon Rice from Tampa Bay and John Abraham from the New York Jets. They also upgraded at safety with the additions of Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker.

3. TAMPA BAY
The Buccaneers, the last NFC team to win a Super Bowl, don't have much time to pull off an encore. Their vaunted defense is aging fast — though it was No. 1 in the league last season — and doesn't have much time to wait on Tampa Bay's young offense. Quarterback Chris Simms and running back Cadillac Williams, last season's offensive rookie of the year, are teeming with potential. The Buccaneers are hoping receiver Michael Clayton returns to his rookie form instead of a repeat of last season's sophomore slump.

4. NEW ORLEANS
Everyone's waiting to see what Reggie Bush can do as a pro. He'll split time with Deuce McAllister, and sometimes they'll both be on the field at the same time. Although expectations are high for the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner, they shouldn't be so high for the Saints. New Orleans has a new quarterback in Drew Brees and a new coach in Sean Payton, but the Saints are average on the offensive and defensive lines and their linebackers and defensive backfield are mediocre at best.


NFC WEST
Seahawks looking strong again in 2006
1. SEATTLE
The Seahawks got oh-so-close last season, outplaying the Steelers throughout the first half of the Super Bowl before letting the game slip away from them in the second half. Seattle has a smart and effective quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, and the defending league MVP in running back Shaun Alexander. Losing guard Steve Hutchinson hurts, but the offensive line is still one of football's best and is anchored by dominating left tackle Walter Jones. The defense is very good too, led by linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

2. ST. LOUIS
With quarterback Marc Bulger, receiver Torry Holt and running back Stephen Jackson, the Rams shouldn't have problems putting points on the board. It's keeping points off the board that's the challenge. The St. Louis defense finished 30th in yards allowed last season, and 28th in takeaway/-giveaway differential. The addition of defenders La'Roi Glover and Will Witherspoon should help, but losing safety Adam Archuleta to Washington is another problem. That said, his replacement, Corey Chavous, is a capable player who studies film like crazy and knows personnel as well as any general manager in the league.

3. ARIZONA
The Cardinals are putting the pieces in place. They've got an outstanding running back in Edgerrin James, a top receiving tandem in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, and a defense that seems to be on the rise. Kurt Warner can be good, as his two MVP trophies suggest, and backup Matt Leinart has promise. Then again, we've seen the Cardinals do a face-plant before. The schedule sets up nicely, however, with first-half road games at Green Bay and Oakland, who were a combined 8-24 last season.

4. SAN FRANCISCO
Judging by his track record, Norv Turner is better suited to be an offensive coordinator than a head coach. In his latest assignment, he's charged with bringing along second-year quarterback Alex Smith, who looks far more comfortable in Turner's system than he was in Mike McCarthy's. Now, Smith also has an outstanding safety-valve receiver in rookie tight end Vernon Davis. Still, expectations aren't too high. After all, the 49ers failed to score an offensive touchdown in eight games last season.