ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey on Tuesday with the Josh Allen-led attack stagnating over a six-week stretch and the three-time defending AFC East champions falling further out of the playoff picture.

The move came a day after a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos in an outing where Allen committed three of Buffalo’s four turnovers and the offense was held under 26 points for a sixth straight game to match the longest stretch since the quarterback’s rookie season in 2018.

Second-year quarterbacks coach Joe Brady takes over as interim coordinator. He joined the Bills after spending the previous two seasons as Carolina’s offensive coordinator.

Buffalo (5-5) has lost 4 of 6 and prepares to host the New York Jets (4-5) on Sunday.

Dorsey was unable to complete his second season on the job after being Allen’s hand-picked successor to take over after Brian Daboll was hired to coach the New York Giants. Daboll spent four seasons in Buffalo, with his hiring coinciding with the Bills trading up five spots to select the raw and erratic but strong-armed Allen with the seventh pick in the 2018 draft.

Under Daboll, Allen set numerous single-season franchise records for passing and scoring.

VIKINGS: The Minnesota Vikings signed linebacker Anthony Barr to their practice squad, bringing back their 2014 first-round draft pick and four-time Pro Bowl pick for depth after an injury to leading tackler Jordan Hicks that sent him to injured reserve.

Hicks bruised his right shin in the first quarter of Minnesota’s 27-19 win on Sunday over New Orleans, returned late in the second quarter and was forced out of the game for good after an aggravation of the injury in the third quarter.

Hicks developed a condition called compartment syndrome, which is caused by a pressure buildup from internal bleeding or swollen tissues. He was hospitalized for two nights after emergency surgery.

The Vikings said Hicks was discharged on Tuesday.

BROWNS: Star running back Nick Chubb had surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, a season-ending injury he sustained in Week 2 at Pittsburgh.

This was Chubb’s second procedure on the knee since he got hurt when he was hit low on a running play against the Steelers on Sept. 18. The Browns had hoped his injury wasn’t as severe, but during an initial surgery, it was discovered he had torn his ACL.

They believe the second surgery was a success.

The Browns expect the 27-year-old Chubb, who worked his way back from an injury to the same knee while at Georgia, will be back at some point in the 2024 season.

COWBOYS: Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is likely to miss the rest of the season with a neck injury that sidelined him the past month and his career could be in jeopardy as well.

The 27-year-old Vander Esch hasn’t played since injuring his neck again in a 42-10 loss to San Francisco on Oct. 8.

JAGUARS: Receiver Zay Jones got into a custody argument with the mother of his child and left fingernail scratches on her neck, according to a police report .

Parts of the report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were redacted. The woman told deputies she was visiting Jones and his family on Monday when Jones got upset that she was taking their child back to Orlando.

Police observed “several small scratches” on the woman’s neck that were “consistent with marks from a fingernail,” according to the report. The woman completed necessary paperwork, including a written statement, and Jones was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge. He was transported to the Duval County Jail without incident.

Jones was booked Monday evening, made his first appearance before a judge on Tuesday and later was released on a $2,503 bond.

TEXANS: Linebacker Denzel Perryman was suspended without pay for three games for repeatedly violating player safety rules during Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Perryman can appeal the suspension.

Perryman was penalized for unnecessary roughness after delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the fourth quarter.

Perryman would be eligible to return to the Texans’ active roster on Dec. 4.

JETS: The New York Jets waived running back Michael Carter, a surprising move for a team searching for answers on offense.

Coach Robert Saleh hinted Monday that schematic and personnel changes could happen this week with New York off to a miserable start on offense.

And the first known move came a day later with Carter being cut.

Carter had a promising rookie season during which he ran for 639 yards and four touchdowns after being drafted in the fourth round out of North Carolina in 2021. But the shifty and versatile running back saw his role diminish in his second season even after rookie Breece Hall was injured.

Carter’s playing time was reduced mainly to third-down duties this season with Hall healthy and Dalvin Cook signed during training camp. Carter’s departure opens a spot for rookie Israel Abanikanda, a New York native who was a fifth-rounder from Pittsburgh but has been inactive for the first nine games.

The 24-year-old Carter had 38 yards on eight carries and 15 catches for 68 yards this season.