Cards notes: Boldin unhappy about sitting out

CHICAGO — Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin may have formally severed his relationship with the organization Sunday when he criticized coach Ken Whisenhunt after Arizona’s 41-21 victory over the Chicago Bears.

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Boldin was irate that no one told him he would be inactive for the game. He said he found out only when he returned to his locker after pre-game practice and saw that it had been emptied of his equipment.

“Nobody was man enough to come to me and tell me what was the situation,” said Boldin, who has been nursing a right ankle sprain. “I would have probably felt better had somebody been man enough to walk up to me and tell me what the situation was, but I had to walk back in the locker room and find all my stuff gone.”

Boldin said his ankle felt the best it had in three weeks and that, “I knew I was ready to go. If it was my decision, I would have played. But it was out of my hands.”

Whisenhunt said he didn’t make the decision to inactivate Boldin until 90 minutes before the game. He said he was concerned Boldin might re-injure the ankle on the loose turf at Soldier Field.

“The footing wasn’t great,” Whisenhunt said. “I was afraid he could turn his ankle. We have a tough stretch coming up, and a couple of division games. I wanted to make sure Boldin was ready to go.”

For Boldin to make such incendiary comments after a 20-point win on the road surely won’t sit well with Whisenhunt or the Cardinals’ front office. Throw in the fact that the Cardinals scored 41 points in his absence, and Steve Breaston caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown, and the odds are greater than ever that Boldin will be gone after this season, likely in a trade.

HARRIS’ EJECTION

Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris was ejected on the fourth play of the game when he punched Cardinals’ guard Deuce Lutui, who was lying facedown on the turf.

Lutui appeared to fall on Harris on the running play, but he said he had no idea why Harris took exception and threw a roundhouse right that got through his facemask and left a lump on his face.

“It happened so quick,” said Lutui, who added he had no personal history with Harris. “We just got tangled up and fell down. Stuff like that happens all the time.”

Center Lyle Sendlein, who said he heard Harris’ punch from 10 feet away, wasn’t surprised that Lutui provoked such a reaction. Lutui is a physical player who sometimes engages after the whistle.

“Deuce has a tendency to make people come after him personally,” Sendlein said with a smile.

Harris’ ejection was a huge blow to the Bears. He’s their best inside pass rusher and without him, quarterback Kurt Warner had a field day, tying his career-high with five touchdown passes.

“I was disappointed in Tommie,” Cardinals defensive end Darnell Dockett said. “Tommie ought to know he’s one of the best D-linemen in the league. He has to know people are going to do things to get under his skin. They missed him a lot.”

LEINART’S SHORT DAY

Quarterback Matt Leinart didn’t fare well in his brief performance in the fourth quarter.

Whisenhunt benched Warner at the start of the quarter and brought Leinart in with the Cardinals ahead, 34-14.

But on third down, Leinart threw outside as Larry Fitzgerald broke inside, and the pass was intercepted by Bears cornerback Zackary Bowman. The Bears scored three plays later to cut the lead to 34-21, and Warner was immediately re-inserted into the game.

Leinart was out of the locker room by the time reporters were let in.

“We just missed the throw,” said Whisenhunt, adding that Leinart hurried the pass because he was unaware the Cardinals had picked up Bears’ blitz.

ROLLE REVERSAL

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and safety Antrel Rolle helped the Cardinals engineer a six-point swing just before halftime.

Rodgers-Cromartie blocked a 48-yard field goal attempt by Robbie Gould. Rolle, standing in the end zone, grabbed the short kick, evaded several Bears’ tacklers inside the 10-yard line and returned it 59 yards to Chicago’s 49-yard line.

Two Warner completions advanced the ball to the 25, and Neil Rackers kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired for a 31-7 halftime lead.

The play didn’t endear Rolle to his teammates, though. He caught grief because it was Gould who tackled him.

“He grabbed my (right) foot, and that foot hasn’t been healthy lately,” said Rolle, who’s been bothered by a sore arch. “I’ve been ripped all day today by everybody.”

EXTRA POINTS: Larry Fitzgerald moved past Frank Sanders into sixth on the Cardinals’ all-time receiving yardage list.

Fitzgerald also had his 22nd career 100-yard game, tying tight end Jackie Smith for second in franchise history behind Boldin

Early Doucet, activated for the first time all season with Boldin out, caught four passes for 31 yards.