Dwayne Haskins is going from starting quarterback to out of uniform.

Ron Rivera benched Haskins for Washington’s next game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams and turned to Kyle Allen as the new starter with the team 1-3 and at what the coach believes is a crucial moment of the season. Alex Smith will back up Allen with Haskins inactive after not having enough time to learn a new system in his second year in the NFL.

“I think our best chance to win is putting the ball in somebody else’s hands,” Rivera said Wednesday. “Dwayne needs some more work. He just hasn’t had enough work yet.”

Rivera pulled the plug on Haskins after a third consecutive loss in just his 11th pro start. Washington’s first-year coach defended the 2019 first-round pick for having “an NFL arm” but lamented Haskins not getting enough snaps in offseason workouts, training camp and practice to make him ready for this.

JETS:  New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold will sit out against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday with his sprained right shoulder and Coach Adam Gase said Wednesday that veteran Joe Flacco will get the start at home in Darnold’s place.

“We’re just making sure we do the right thing, not only by him, but for the immediate future and long term,” Gase said of Darnold.

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Darnold, who was injured last Thursday night against Denver, is week to week. The team will see how the quarterback feels after he rests this week.

“Hopefully he gets better quickly and he doesn’t miss too much time,” Gase said.

It marks the third straight year in Darnold’s young NFL career that he will miss at least a game. He was sidelined for three games as a rookie with a sprained foot and then three more last year while dealing with mononucleosis.

SAINTS-CHARGERS: The NFL and New Orleans Saints are working on contingency plans for Monday night’s scheduled game between the Saints and Los Angeles Charges in New Orleans in the event Hurricane Delta brings severe weather to southeastern Louisiana.

“We continue to monitor developments and remain in contact with the two clubs,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “We have built-in contingencies for every game in the event circumstances require a change.”

The NFL also had contingency plans in place for recent games played in California because of concerns about how wildfires were affecting air quality. So far, no West Coast games have been moved or rescheduled. As of Wednesday, forecasts indicated Hurricane Delta would come ashore in Louisiana on Friday as far west as near the Texas-Louisiana border, or as far east as the New Orleans area.

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The threat of severe weather already has caused the relocation of No. 17 LSU’s game against Missouri on Saturday from Baton Rouge to Columbia, Missouri.

DOLPHINS: Coach Brian Flores says Tua Tagovailoa needs more time to be groomed for the job he was drafted to fill.

“As far as him being a starter, we just don’t feel like he’s ready there just yet,” Flores said Wednesday.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain the starter Sunday at San Francisco for the Dolphins, even though they’re 1-3 and lost last week at home to Seattle. Tagovailoa, considered a potential franchise quarterback, was drafted with the fifth overall pick but has yet to take a snap.

“Right now we feel like Fitz gives us the best chance to win,” Flores said.

Limited game snaps for Tagovailoa as a backup to speed his development aren’t likely.

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“I wouldn’t be in favor of something like that,” Flores said. “There are so many things pertaining to the team that you don’t want to do something for one specific person.”

COWBOYS: Dallas released defensive back Brandon Carr, cutting ties with the 13-year veteran after bringing him in just before the season for depth in the secondary.

Carr, who was with the Cowboys for five of his first 12 seasons while starting all 192 of those games, rejoined the club on the practice squad. That group was expanded from 10 to 16 with all veterans eligible because of the pandemic.

The 34-year-old was moved to the active roster for the opener but didn’t play, ending his streak of consecutive games. Carr played sparingly in the past three games. He spent the previous three years in Baltimore.

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