SAN DIEGO — Without a sack or interception in the past nine quarters, the San Diego Chargers on Tuesday fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell and replaced him with inside linebackers coach Ron Rivera.
Cottrell had become a popular target of fan ire as the Chargers (3-5) lost three of their past four games, including a 37-32 loss to former teammate Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints in London on Sunday.
That game was indicative of the Chargers’ defensive shortcomings, with no pressure on the quarterback and a lot of passing yards.
Coach Norv Turner decided after the game that Cottrell had to go, and informed him on Monday morning.
“Probably the things that we have needed to improve in are the same things that affected us in Week Two and so on,” Turner said. “The same things have been an issue throughout the first eight games, at different times.”
The Chargers are at or near the bottom of the NFL rankings in several defensive categories, including last in pass defense.
Rivera played linebacker for the Chicago Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl champion team. He interviewed for the head coaching job that went to Turner in February 2007 after Marty Schottenheimer was fired.
Witten may play with bad ribs
Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has a broken rib but could play anyway Sunday against the New York Giants.
Witten tried to return after injuring his ribs last weekend against Tampa Bay, but he eventually sat out most of the second half. He could wear added protection against the Giants, according to a posting on the team’s Web site.
Cornerback Anthony Henry tore his quadriceps against the Buccaneers, but the Cowboys are optimistic rest and treatment will be enough for him to play Sunday, according to the Web site
Falcons OT Baker to have hip examined by specialists
Atlanta is sending rookie lineman Sam Baker to a pair of specialists after an injured hip failed to improve with treatment.
Baker, a first-round pick who had been starting at left tackle, will not play in Sunday’s game at Oakland and it’s not known when he might return, coach Mike Smith said.
“We’ve aggressively treated it and it has not responded,” Smith said Tuesday, an off day for the players. “Our medical staff suggested he goes and seeks other opinions. Like with all our players, we want to do our due diligence. Sam will be missing practice for the next couple of days getting his hip looked at.”
Baker’s hip appeared to be improving last week. He returned to practice and Smith thought he would play against Philadelphia.
When the problem flared up again, Baker didn’t dress for the 27-14 loss to the Eagles.
Saints’ Nesbit files suit against diet pill maker
New Orleans offensive guard Jamar Nesbit filed suit against the maker of a weight-loss supplement, alleging it was improperly spiked with a diuretic that is banned by the NFL.
The lawsuit against the makers of StarCaps, an over-the-counter product, was filed in federal district court in New Jersey, said Nesbit’s attorney Brian Molloy.
Nesbit returned last week from a four-game suspension levied after he tested positive for Bumetanide, a substance that helps rid the body of excess water and salt. The NFL considers the substance a possible masking agent for steroids.
It is the same substance for which several other players around the league have reportedly tested positive, including three other Saints: running back Deuce McAllister and defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant.
The Associated Press has reported that six to eight players around the league are appealing findings that they took a weight-loss diuretic considered a masking agent for steroids.
Steelers’ Holmes will play
Pittsburgh won’t further punish wide receiver Santonio Holmes for being charged last week with a marijuana-related offense and plan to start him Monday night in Washington.
Holmes, who led the NFL in yards-per-catch last season, was benched for the Steelers’ 21-14 loss Sunday to the New York Giants and was not in uniform. He was allowed to return to the team after speaking to his teammates and issuing a public apology on Monday.
The NFL could punish Holmes once his case is resolved, but coach Mike Tomlin said there will be no additional action taken by the team.
Holmes, a third-year player out of Ohio State, was charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of a small amount of marijuana following a police stop Thursday. Holmes has a preliminary hearing before a Pittsburgh district judge on Nov. 24.
Jets earn over $16 million in online PSL auction
New York earned more than $16 million by selling 620 personal seat licenses for choice spots in their new stadium during an unprecedented nine-day online auction.
Bidding ended Monday night as the team auctioned off 2,000 PSLs for the exclusive Coaches Club — located near the 50-yard line and behind the Jets’ bench — on the online ticketing Web site StubHub. It was the first time a U.S. sports team auctioned off PSLs online.
While the sale occurred as the stock market plunged, and fewer than half the available seats were sold, the team announced that the average winning bid was $26,000.
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