SAN DIEGO — Norv Turner, of all people, came up with the San Diego Chargers’ hardest hit in weeks when he fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell on Tuesday.
Cottrell was sacked by the head coach in large part because his defense couldn’t get to opposing quarterbacks, the most glaring shortcoming for a unit that has had little spark since losing star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman to season-ending knee surgery after the first game.
Cottrell was replaced by inside linebackers coach Ron Rivera, a Super Bowl winner with the Chicago Bears in 1985. Rivera will have the bye week to figure out why the Chargers (3-5) have underperformed.
“Probably the things that we have needed to improve in are the same things that affected us in Week 2 and so on,” Turner said. “The same things have been an issue throughout the first eight games, at different times.”
Cottrell didn’t return a call seeking comment. This is the third time he’s been fired as a defensive coordinator. He was let go by the New York Jets after the 2003 season and by the Minnesota Vikings after Brad Childress took over as head coach following the 2005 season.
Lawsuit filed.
Saints guard Jamar Nesbit filed suit Tuesday 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.
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 allegedly tested positive.
• The Saints released kicker Taylor Mehlhaff and punter Ben Graham, leaving the team to spend its bye week trying to fill each position for a third time this season.
Footnotes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers 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 at Washington.
• Karl Kassulke, a former Pro Bowl safety with the Vikings whose career ended when he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, died from a heart attack, the team confirmed. He was 67.
• Cowboys tight end Jason Witten has a broken rib but could play Sunday against the New York Giants.
• Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said a doctor has not cleared him to play because of a leg problem stemming from a bulging disc in his back.
The Associated Press
