Ben Roethlisberger has knee surgery; timetable for return unknown

The Pittsburgh Steelers likely will head into their showdown with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots without Ben Roethlisberger.

A person with knowledge of the procedure says the Steelers quarterback underwent surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee Monday.

Roethlisberger tweaked the knee in the second quarter of Sunday's 30-15 loss to the Dolphins and left briefly before returning. He underwent an MRI on Sunday night, which revealed the extent of the damage.

There is no timetable on Roethlisberger's return. Landry Jones will take snaps with the starters this week. Jones played in seven games last season while filling in for Roethlisberger, throwing for 513 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.

Despite their ongoing efforts to round out their roster, the Packers simply aren't strong enough in other areas to overcome a mediocre day by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. That's especially true against an efficient team such as the Cowboys, who, despite starting a rookie quarterback, raised their record to 5-1 while dropping the Packers to 3-2 with a 30-16 victory Sunday.

The Packers defense that had been so promising in the first four games was exposed by quarterback Dak Prescott, halfback Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys. Thought to be on the verge of becoming dominant, the defense allowed season highs in points (30), total yards (424) and rushing yards (191).

And even though coach Mike McCarthy has tried to push the offense toward a more effective running game to better control the time of possession, it hasn't happened yet. Due to injuries and curious roster decisions, Eddie Lacy was the only halfback on the active roster Sunday and the combination of his sore left ankle and the Dallas defense limited him to 65 yards on 17 carries.

"We've got to improve," Rodgers said. "I've got to play better for sure. We've got to get open and catch it consistently and throw it a little bit better."

... Running back James Starks underwent knee surgery Sunday but is expected to have a quick recovery.

Of greater uncertainty is what cornerbacks the Packers will have available to play against the Bears.

Veteran starter Sam Shields hasn't been on the field since suffering a concussion in the Sept. 11 season opener.

McCarthy said Quinten Rollins, who had a groin injury in practice Saturday, will miss his second straight game.

• Broncos coach Gary Kubiak is back at work after taking a week off. The 55-year-old coach suffered a complex migraine following Denver's 23-16 loss to Atlanta on Oct. 9. He spent a night in the hospital after being taken from the stadium via ambulance when he suffered extreme fatigue.

• Browns starting safety Jordan Poyer remains hospitalized because of a lacerated kidney suffered in Sunday's loss at Tennessee.