Samuels Won't Return

Left tackle Chris Samuels is out for the game with a shoulder stinger suffered early in the first quarter. As the team returned from the locker room to start the third quarter, Samuels wasn't in pads and wasn't even wearing his jersey. D'Anthony Batiste has been playing left tackle, and it's a noticable drop-off from the six-time Pro Bowler to a guy who spent almost all of last season on the practice squad and has only seen action in four games during his three-year career. With Samuels and right guard Randy Thomas, who was placed on injured reserve two weeks ago, both watching from the sidelines, this is essentially the nightmare scenario the Jim Zorn and offensive line coach Joe Bugel had hoped to avoid.