TEMPE, Ariz. — With his quarterback’s postgame blowup broadcast repeatedly across the land and his team mired in a mess of a season, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is trying to remain the calm at the center of an increasingly ugly storm.
Whisenhunt said that with the team not performing up to expectations, “you have to look at starting to make changes.” Derek Anderson will remain at quarterback partly, the coach acknowledged, because there isn’t much choice.
On Tuesday, Whisenhunt said he wished Anderson would have handled it better when he was questioned about television shots of him and teammate Deuce Lutui grinning while the team was down by 18 points in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 27-6 loss to San Francisco.
But the coach said he’s “not going to read much into a couple of seconds of what you see on video.”
Anderson apparently felt his commitment was being questioned when a reporter asked him to explain the behavior shown on the national television broadcast.
“What Deuce Lutui and I talk about is nobody’s business,” Anderson said.
As the questioner persisted, Anderson got angrier.
“I don’t go out there and laugh. It’s not funny. Nothing’s funny to me. I don’t want to go out there and get embarrassed on ‘Monday Night Football’ in front of everybody,” he shouted.
Harrison hit by $25,000 fine
PITTSBURGH — Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $25,000 for his penalized, helmet-first hit on Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, bringing his total for the season to four fines at a cost of $125,000.
Meanwhile, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is wearing a protective boot on his sprained right foot but is expected to play Sunday night against the Ravens.
SI’s choice for sportsman a Brees
NEW YORK — Drew Brees was honored as Sports Illustrated’s sportsman of the year for his championship on the field and his charity off it.
Since Brees joined the Saints in 2006 months after Hurricane Katrina, his foundation has worked with nearly 50 New Orleans schools and organizations to aid in recovery.
“The more that I’ve learned about the award and that it goes well beyond what you accomplish on the field, that it’s very much about what you do off the field as well, with community service and your family, makes the award even more special to me,” Brees said.
Dolphins activate Merling
DAVIE, Fla. — The Dolphins activated Phillip Merling less than four months after the defensive end suffered an Achilles tendon injury that was feared to be season-ending.
The Dolphins waived former Broncos quarterback Patrick Ramsey.
Footnotes.
The Packers and cornerback Tramon Williams agreed to a contract extension that is worth $33.074 million and extends through 2014, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Authorities in Nashville, Tenn., said there is not enough evidence to charge Titans receiver Kenny Britt in an Oct. 22 bar fight.
• Lions quarterback Shaun Hill appeared to have a splint on the index finger of his throwing hand at practice and stood off to the side while Drew Stanton and Zac Robinson took snaps, leaving in question the starter for Sunday’s game against the Bears.
• The 49ers placed running back Frank Gore on season-ending injured reserve because of a fractured right hip suffered during Monday night’s victory over the Cardinals.
Also, coach Mike Singletary declared kicker Joe Nedney healthy and ready to return from a right knee strain and bone bruise.
• The Bengals signed Clint Stitser and waived Aaron Pettrey after two games, replacing one rookie kicker with another.
The Associated Press
