Citing unnamed sources, FoxSports.com and the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Tuesday the break in Quinn's finger worsened after he tried to play through the injury in a loss to the Houston Texans . He initially broke the tip of the finger and damaged a tendon in it during a game Nov. 17 against the Buffalo Bills .

Quinn flew to Birmingham, Ala., early Tuesday to have the injury examined by noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews. He then was advised by Andrews, as well as specialists brought in by the Browns, to end his season with five games left before the tendon tore from the bone.

''Brady wanted to play [against the Texans],'' a source told the Plain Dealer. ''If it was going to be fixed a week ago, it would have been virtually the same thing. Nobody had any idea what would happen if he'd just gone out and played with it. Doctors viewed it before then and thought he was OK to play.''

Quinn now is debating whether to have surgery on the finger, the source said.

- Former NFL most valuable player Shaun Alexander was released by the Washington Redskins after rushing for 24 yards on 11 carries in five games. Alexander, who was voted MVP after rushing for 1,880 yards for the Seattle Seahawks in 2005, was looking to make a comeback after foot and wrist injuries ruined his last two seasons and prompted the Seahawks to cut him in April.

- The Texans put running back Ahman Green on season-ending injured reserve with an unspecified injury to his left knee suffered Sunday against the Browns. Green had 74 carries for 294 yards and three touchdowns this season.

- NFL teams set a record by scoring a combined 837 points in Week 12, breaking the previous mark of 788 that had been achieved three times.

James leads Cavs' romp

LeBron James led seven players in double figures with 26 points despite sitting out the fourth quarter, and the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers rang up their highest point total of the season in a 119-101 victory against the New York Knicks. The Knicks made a pair of trades last week in an effort to clear salary-cap room to make a run at James when he hits free agency in 2010.

- Caron Butler scored 35 points and Andray Blatche and Antawn Jamison 25 each, and the host Washington Wizards gave Ed Tapscott a victory in his debut as interim coach by crushing the Golden State Warriors 124-100. Tapscott was coaching his first game in place of Eddie Jordan, who was fired Monday with the Wizards off to a 1-10 start.

Ball State stays perfect

MiQuale Lewis ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns, and Nate Davis passed for one score and ran for another as No. 15 Ball State (12-0, 8-0) remained one of four unbeaten teams in Division I-A with a 45-22 victory against Western Michigan (9-3, 6-2) in Mid-American Conference action in Muncie, Ind.

- Oregon State coach Mike Riley said running back Jacquizz Rodgers is doubtful for the No. 17 Beavers' game Saturday against Oregon because of a sprained left shoulder. Rodgers has rushed for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns for Oregon State, which will earn a berth in the Rose Bowl with a victory.

- No. 16 Cincinnati will play it last two regular-season games without cornerback Mike Mickens, who had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. The Bearcats hope to have Mickens back for their bowl game.

FedEx Cup tweaked again

The PGA Tour revamped its FedEx Cup race again, this time looking to make sure the winner of the $10 million prize is decided at the Tour Championship.

Points that previously had been reset at the start of the four-tournament playoffs won't be changed until the Tour Championship, giving all 30 players who qualify for that event a mathematical chance to win.

Vijay Singh won the first two playoff events this year, giving him such a commanding lead that he only needed to finish four rounds at the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup.

Utley has hip surgery

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Chase Utley had arthroscopic surgery on his right hip Monday and is expected to need four to six months to recover. Utley, who had 33 home runs and 104 RBI in the regular season and three homers and nine RBI in the playoffs as the Phillies won the World Series, had surgery to trim the labrum in the hip.

- The Florida Marlins' new ballpark won't open until the 2012 season, a one-year delay because a recent court challenge slowed the start of construction.

UIC reaches Sweet 16

The UIC men's soccer team advanced to the round of 16 of the NCAA tournament by defeating Michigan State 3-2 on penalty kicks in East Lansing, Mich. The Flames (12-3-6) will face North Carolina this weekend for a spot in the quarterfinals.