HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have benched Davis Mills and will start Kyle Allen at quarterback Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.

“Reasons why, it’s like this for all positions … you always look for the best option that gives you the best chance to win,” Coach Lovie Smith said as he announced the decision Friday. “And that’s where we are right now.”

Mills, who is in his second year, has struggled as the Texans (1-8-1) have lost five games in a row. They are the only NFL team with just one win. Mills has thrown seven interceptions with just five touchdowns during Houston’s five-game skid. A third-round pick out Stanford, Mills has started each game this season for the Texans and has thrown for 2,144 yards with 11 touchdowns and an NFL-high 11 interceptions.

“I wish everything was rolling the way we would like for it, the way we envisioned it happening and we didn’t have to make some of these decisions,” Smith said. “But things haven’t gone well and we need to get it better. So we need to make some moves like this to see if we can jump-start it.”

The 26-year-old Allen has not played this season, and his last appearance came on Dec. 26 of last season against Dallas while he was with Washington.

BILLS: Tests on Buffalo Bills star pass-rusher Von Miller’s injured right knee showed no tear to the anterior cruciate ligament, a person with direct knowledge of the injury told The Associated Press.

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The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Friday because the team did not reveal that information. Coach Sean McDermott declined to provide any details on the injury suffered a day earlier except to rule out Miller from playing against New England next week.

“We’re going to take it a week at a time,” McDermott said, while noting Miller will have further tests.

Miller was hurt late in the second quarter of Buffalo’s 28-25 win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. He was pushing his way through the right side of the Lions’ line when his knee bent awkwardly at the same time center Frank Ragnow stepped on Miller’s right ankle.

Miller was able to walk off the field on his own, and he was examined briefly on the sideline before being carted off.

Buffalo (8-3) has won two straight since a two-game skid, and travels to play New England (6-5) on Thursday.

BRONCOS: Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos will be without receivers Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler for their game Sunday at Carolina.

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Jeudy was ruled out Friday with an ankle injury and Hamler with a bothersome hamstring. The team also will be missing cornerback K’Waun Williams (wrist/elbow/knee) and defensive lineman Jonathan Harris (knee).

PACKERS: Green Bay rookie offensive lineman Sean Rhyan has been suspended without pay for six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The penalty means the third-round draft pick out of UCLA must sit out the rest of the regular season. Rhyan has participated in only one play this season and for no offensive snaps. He was active and appeared in one special-teams play on Nov. 6 in a 15-9 loss at Detroit.

BROWNS: Cleveland starting cornerback Greg Newsome II will miss his second straight game with a concussion when the Browns host Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Newsome was injured last week when he collided with a teammate two days before the Browns (3-7) lost to Buffalo. He hasn’t cleared NFL protocol and will sit out when Cleveland hosts Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

Rookie Martin Emerson Jr. will make his second straight start in place of Newsome.


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