After Debacle, Cardinals Oust Coordinator

Arizona Cardinals Coach Dennis Green fired his offensive coordinator yesterday on the heels of Monday night's loss to the Chicago Bears.

Green ousted Keith Rowen and promoted quarterbacks coach Mike Kruczek (St. John's High) to replace him. Rowen might remain on Green's coaching staff in another capacity.

"I've known Keith for a long time," Green said, according to the Associated Press. "I have the utmost respect for him, [but] we are not scoring enough points."

The Cardinals, with rookie quarterback Matt Leinart making his second NFL start, squandered a 23-3 lead in the second half and lost, 24-23, to the Bears on Monday. Kicker Neil Rackers missed a 41-yard field goal attempt in the final minute as the Cardinals lost their fifth straight game to drop their record to 1-5. Leinart threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears' usually fearsome defense.

"We played awesome tonight against the number one ranked team," Leinart said during his postgame news conference. "Some way or somehow, we always continue to hurt ourselves. . . . It's just frustrating when we have these games won and we lose it in the end like that. It's tough. It really is."

Packers' Robinson Suspended

The NFL suspended Green Bay Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson for a minimum of one year without pay for a violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

The suspension was imposed soon after Robinson pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of drunken driving and fleeing from police related to a training camp incident while he was with the Minnesota Vikings.

Robinson was arrested after a high-speed chase on Aug. 15 near the Vikings' training camp in Mankato, Minn. The Vikings released him later in camp. Robinson subsequently was sentenced to three months in jail for a probation violation related to a previous drunken driving case while he was playing for the Seattle Seahawks. . . .

The league reportedly suspended Detroit Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers for four games for testing positive for a banned substance that was in a weight-loss product. . . .

The Indianapolis Colts obtained defensive tackle Anthony McFarland in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a second-round draft choice next spring.

The Colts are unbeaten entering Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins but their defense ranks last in the league against the run and is missing tackle Corey Simon, who is sidelined the rest of the season because of an illness. . . .

The Buccaneers signed cornerback Phillip Buchanon, a former first-round draft pick released by the Houston Texans. . . .

The Texans signed defensive tackle Lional Dalton, who was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Dalton takes the roster spot of defensive tackle Seth Payne, who was placed on the injured reserve list because of a torn knee ligament. . . .

The Miami Dolphins promoted rookie wide receiver Marcus Vick from their practice squad to their 53-man roster. The former quarterback at Virginia Tech is the younger brother of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and was signed by the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. . . .

Atlanta Falcons guard Matt Lehr was suspended for four games for a violation of the league's steroids policy. . . .

Tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. is expected to rejoin the Cleveland Browns today after attending his younger brother's funeral yesterday in Kansas City, Mo.

Justin K.B. Winslow reportedly was found unconscious on Thursday and was taken to a hospital but could not be revived. A cause of death had not been determined.