Ben Tate doesn't have to worry about losing carries with the Browns any longer.

The team released the disgruntled running back on Tuesday, two days after he was given the ball just twice in a matchup against the Houston Texans, his former team.

Tate signed a two-year, $6.2 million free agent contract in March with Cleveland to be the Browns' every-down back. He rushed for 333 yards, but his playing time had been dwindling with the emergence of rookies Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West.

Last week, Tate said he wasn't satisfied with Cleveland's running backs rotation and the team decided to move on without him.

Browns general manager Ray Farmer explained the move in a release.

"With all the transactions we make while constructing our roster, it will always be our intent to do what is best for our football team," Farmer said. "This move is no different and we wish Ben the best going forward."

On Sunday, Tate was made a captain for the game against the Texans, his team for four seasons. But he had just two rushes for minus-9 yards and initially declined interviews following the game. Tate began to leave the locker room without talking to reporters, but was coaxed to stay by a member of the team's media relations staff.

Tate was short with his answers and got into a brief exchange with one reporter who suggested Tate didn't look happy.

"Did I tell you that?" Tate said, with the reporter replying that Tate seemed unhappy.

"Oh it seemed. Do you know me personally?" Tate said. "Exactly, so you don't know. You're assuming now."

Tate, who made six starts this season, rushed for 124 yards against Tennessee but hasn't been as productive in recent weeks. On Monday, Browns coach Mike Pettine was asked what had happened to Tate.

"Nothing I would speak on here," he said before praising Crowell and West. "The young backs — and I've talked of this before about West — is that there's an explosiveness there with the young backs, just a little bit more pop. We wanted to see those guys out there. Sometimes it's not a matter of a negative against a guy. Sometimes it's more of a positive with the other ones, but we take everything into account when we discuss the running backs."

Tate's departure came less than a week after he grumbled about playing time. As the Browns prepared to face the Texans, Tate was asked if he was satisfied with his role.

"I'd be lying if I said yeah," he said. "It's not, but whatever the organization thinks is best for the team, then that's what we're going to do."

Tate beat out West and Crowell for the starting job in training camp and began the season as Cleveland's primary back. He sprained his right knee in the Sept. 7 opener at Pittsburgh and missed two games. But he returned after the bye week with a bang, rushing for a career-high in yards as the Browns overcame a 25-point deficit — the biggest comeback in NFL history by a road team — to stun the Titans 29-28.

But Tate's opportunities faded as West replaced him as the starter in Cleveland's 24-3 win at Cincinnati on Nov. 6 and Crowell, an undrafted rookie, started over Tate on Sunday against the Texans, who selected him in the second round of the 2010 draft.

Tate's departure could give undrafted rookie Glenn Winston some playing time. He's played on special teams but the Browns have been anxious to see what he can do.

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The highest point total in TCU history came three days before the release of the first rankings from the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Coincidence? Coach Gary Patterson says so after the Horned Frogs surpassed 70 for the first time, and then 80 for good measure, with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns in an 82-27 embarrassment of Texas Tech on Saturday.

"I didn't want to score that last touchdown," Patterson said of a 25-yard run by Trevorris Johnson with 1:16 to go that gave the Horned Frogs the most points in an FBS game since Oklahoma State opened the 2012 season with an 84-0 win over Savannah State.

"We didn't go into this saying we want to run up the score. That's not what TCU is all about," Patterson said.

TCU, which had a previous scoring high of 69 three years ago, does want to make the first four-team playoff, and there's work to do even for the highest-ranked team in the Big 12.

The blowout of Texas Tech didn't help much in The Associated Press poll released Sunday, with the Horned Frogs staying at No. 10, followed for the second straight week by Kansas State at 11th and Baylor at No. 12.

While TCU (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) ran away with 45 second-half points while holding the Red Raiders to 112 yards after halftime, they gave up 287 yards in the first quarter — and four plays of 48 yards or longer.

"When people first see the number 82, they'll be like 'Whoa,'" said receiver Deante Gray, who caught two of Trevone Boykin's school-record seven touchdown passes, including a 92-yarder in a 31-point third quarter. "But if you look at the game, we definitely struggled in a couple areas."

That's just what Patterson wants to hear.

The Horned Frogs were coming off 4-8 season and had a Big 12 record of 6-12 since joining the league two years ago, but they're not the only surprise in the conference. In fact, they get to see another one next weekend— on a long road trip.

West Virginia moved up to two spots to No. 20 after winning at Oklahoma State 34-10 for its fourth straight victory. Patterson doesn't care that the Mountaineers (6-2, 4-1) needed a last-play field goal two weeks ago in Lubbock to beat a team that just lost to TCU by 55 points.

"I'm keeping my nose down," Patterson said. "I know we have a good football team. I understand the level of play that they can lay. I've seen them do it, now we have to be able do to that. Next we have a very good West Virginia team that we have to play at their place."

TCU will carry a pair of injury concerns to Morgantown in receiver Josh Doctson, who hurt an ankle on a third-quarter catch, and a shoulder problem that limited running back B.J. Catalon to nine carries.

Even before Catalon got hurt, Aaron Green was well on his way to his first career 100-yard game, finishing with 105 fueled by a 62-yard touchdown. Thanks to the blowout, the freshman Johnson got his first career 100-yarder as well, also going for 105 and two touchdowns.

"We just had some guys make plays all over the field, and it was great to watch 'em," said Boykin, who moved up a spot to third nationally in total offense at 383 yards per game.

Now the Horned Frogs will watch for Tuesday's release of the first playoff rankings.


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(AP) — The one-two punch in the Buffalo Bills offensive backfield just got knocked out.

Running back C.J. Spiller is out indefinitely — and could miss the rest of the season — after having surgery Monday to repair an injury to his collarbone. And co-starter Fred Jackson revealed during his weekly radio show on Buffalo's WGR that he could miss up to four weeks with a groin injury.

Both players were hurt about 10 minutes apart in the first half of a 17-16 win over Minnesota on Sunday

The injuries leave Buffalo (4-3) turning to backups Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown to carry the load for the near future.

The Bills play at the New York Jets (1-6) on Sunday before entering their bye week off.

The injuries nearly overshadowed a dramatic victory, in which Kyle Orton capped a 15-play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Watkins with 1 second left.

Coach Doug Marrone confirmed Spiller had surgery, but declined to discuss the nature of the injury. As for a timetable, Marrone said he's waiting for doctors to provide a prognosis before determining how much time Spiller might miss.

Marrone noted "all options are on the table," including placing Spiller on the injured reserve/designated to return list. Under that designation, Spiller wouldn't be eligible to return until Week 16.

The Bills initially announced Spiller hurt his shoulder before Marrone provided the update on Monday.

Spiller was hurt after a 53-yard run in the second quarter, when he was tripped up from behind and fell hard on his left shoulder along the left sideline. He was carefully loaded into a cart and was in tears while driven off.

The injury has the potential of ending Spiller's tenure in Buffalo. The Bills 2010 first-round draft pick is completing the final year of his contract, making him eligible to become a free agent this offseason.

Jackson was already in the locker room when Spiller was carted in.

"I didn't say anything to him. I just kind of gave him a big hug, put my arm around him and told him I was there for him," Jackson said.

Jackson was hurt in the first quarter, when he felt something pop upon taking a handoff on a third-and-1 play. He took a few steps before falling and then immediately grabbed the inside of his left leg.

Jackson said doctors informed him the pop was a muscle being pulled about a centimeter off the bone.

"It's typically a four-week injury, but we'll try to do some things to get it sped up," Jackson said. "Hopefully, I can get back a lot sooner than that."

Marrone was not pleased with Jackson going public with his injury and wouldn't say whether the four-week prognosis is accurate.

Either way, Buffalo's running-back rotation is going to have an altogether new look.

Dixon, an offseason free-agent addition, is expected to get additional playing time after he had 13 carries for 51 yards against Minnesota. Brown, acquired in a trade with Philadelphia in May, will finally get a chance to play after being listed as inactive through the first seven games.

The Bills also have fullback Frank Summers.

Brown is eager to finally get an opportunity to suit up, though unhappy that it comes because of injuries.

"I reached out to both yesterday and told them I'm praying for a speedy recovery," Brown said. "I told them, I'm going to go out there and play for them. I'll do my very best. I don't want to let those guys down."

Brown was in a similar position during his rookie season in Philadelphia in 2012, when filled in after injured starter LeSean McCoy.

In his first start, Brown set the Eagles' single-game rookie rushing record with 178 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He followed that with 169 yards rushing and two more score in becoming the NFL's fifth rookie since 1960 to rush for 165-plus yards in consecutive games.

In Buffalo, Brown has been the odd-man out because Dixon also fills a role on special teams.

"I know that I can perform and play on this level," Brown said. "But at the end of the day, I don't control who's active and who's not. And unfortunately it was me. But I don't really want to focus on that because that's not really important."

(AP) — The Green Bay Packers had a fine plan for neutralizing Carolina's running game: dominate on offense.

Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, Randall Cobb torched the Carolina secondary for 121 yards on six catches and the Packers rolled to a 38-17 victory on Sunday.

Sure-tackling Green Bay (5-2) limited quarterback Cam Newton in the first half. The Packers scored touchdowns on their first three series and led by 28-3 at halftime, eliminating the threat of the Panthers' ground game.

Newton, who had a career-high 17 carries last week, had 41 yards rushing on seven attempts. He passed for 205 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown for Carolina (3-3-1).

The Packers scored on their first series after Rodgers connected with Jordy Nelson for a 59-yard scoring strike and never looked back to win their fourth straight. Eddie Lacy and James Starks each added rushing touchdowns in the first half.

Rodgers was 19 of 22 for 255 yards before leaving early in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. It was Rodgers' sixth straight game without an interception, tying Bart Starr for the franchise record set in 1964.

The Panthers finally got their first touchdown with 9:43 left in the fourth quarter after Newton found 6-foot-5 receiver Kelvin Benjamin for a 13-yard score.

Packers fans still celebrated with their team up by 28, belting out a hearty chorus of the "Beer Barrel Polka" during the break.

Nearly everything went right for the Packers in the first half, when nearly everything went wrong for the Panthers.

Carolina had pushed Green Bay back to third-and-12 on Packers 28 on the first drive when the Panthers were whistled for two straight neutral zone infractions. Rodgers scrambled for three yards on third-and-2 before finding Nelson for the long touchdown pass.

Nelson got behind cornerback Antoine Cason, who then slipped. Safety Roman Harper watched Nelson sidestep around him and jog all the way into the end zone.

It was a sign of things to come.

Carolina was held to a three-and-out. Green Bay's next drive ended with Lacy high-stepping into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 5:53 left in the first quarter.

The Panthers helped out on that series after getting caught with too many men on the field on third-and-3 to give the Packers a first down.

Carolina's frustration mounted as the deficit grew.

Linebacker Luke Kuechly was ejected late in the third quarter. Last season's Defensive Player of the Year appeared to swing a leg in the direction of Green Bay tight end Richard Rodgers as he was getting up after scrambling for a fumble that was recovered by the Packers at the Carolina 37.

Kuechly swung his arms and seemed agitated as he was restrained from behind by back judge Steve Freeman. The linebacker calmed down when he turned around and saw the official, who threw a flag with about two minutes left in the quarter.

(Reuters) - A Dallas Cowboys player is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the team's hotel last month, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

The sports channel named the player, as did other media, but quoted Grapevine Police Department spokesman Barry Bowling as saying he hadn't been charged or arrested. ESPN did not provide details of the alleged Sept. 20 incident.

Reuters has not confirmed the player's identity or the alleged crime.

The suspected assault occurred at the Gaylord Hotel a day before the team played the St. Louis Rams, ESPN reported.

Calls and emails to law enforcement and National Football League representatives were not immediately returned.

The incident comes to light just a month after TMZ.com published a video from inside a New Jersey casino elevator showing former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice punching his now-wife Janay Palmer.

NFL Commissioner Roger Godell initially gave Rice a two-game suspension over the domestic violence incident, then indefinitely suspended the three-time Pro Bowler following the release of the video.

The league's uneven response has raised questions about the credibility and integrity of the NFL and Goodell, one of the most powerful figures in sports.

(Reuters) - The National Football League admitted on Tuesday that Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for sliding on his knees and bowing in prayer after scoring a touchdown.

Abdullah, a devout Muslim, was slapped with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty after his touchdown during the Chiefs' 41-14 rout of the New England Patriots on Monday night.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora said players are not allowed to celebrate while on the ground but this was different.

"Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct following his fourth quarter touchdown," Signora said in an e-mail to Reuters on Tuesday.

"The officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression, and as a result, there should have been no penalty on the play," he added.

Abdullah, who scored during a 39-yard interception return in the fourth quarter, had said he believed he was penalized for the slide prior to his prayer.

"I just got a little too excited," Abdullah told reporters after the game. "I think it was for the slide."

Abduallah slid on his knees for several yards before touching his head to the ground at the back of the end zone.