Ben Roethlisberger won’t start for Steelers

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not start Saturday when the Steelers face the St. Louis Rams.

Roethlisberger is dealing with a sprained left ankle and did not practice this week after a 20-3 loss to San Francisco on Monday. He will be replaced by veteran Charlie Batch, who is 4-2 as a spot starter since joining the Steelers in 2003.

Roethlisberger said Wednesday he would prefer to play and believed his ankle was in pretty good shape after throwing for 330 yards and three interceptions against the 49ers. Yet he watched both practices this week in sweat pants as Batch took the snaps with the first team.

Roethlisberger last missed a start due to injury in 2009, when a concussion forced him to sit out a loss to Baltimore.

The Steelers (10-4) have already clinched a playoff spot.

Injuries

Cornerback Asante Samuel has been ruled out for Saturday’s crucial game with the Cowboys, the Eagles said Friday.

Samuel injured his hamstring against the Jets and missed the last three practices. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will start in his place.

Samuel’s absence could be crucial against a Cowboys team that features three significant threats at wide receiver and a big-time tight end.

Cowboys running back Felix Jones is listed as questionable after missing practice all week because of hamstring tightness.

Tight end Jake Ballard, defensive end Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Mark Herzlich will miss the New York Giants game with the Jets on Saturday. Umenyiora and Herzlich have been out for weeks with ankle injuries. Ballard sprained a knee late in last weekend’s loss to the Washington Redskins.

New lawsuit

Nearly two dozen former NFL players are suing the league over severe and permanent brain damage they say is linked to concussions suffered on the job.

The complaint filed Thursday in Miami follows a similar one in Atlanta earlier this week. It is the latest in a series of recent lawsuits against the NFL by ex-players.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of ex-Miami Dolphins teammates Patrick Surtain, Oronde Gadsden and 19 other players. It accuses the NFL of deliberately omitting or concealing years of evidence linking concussions to long-term neurological problems.

The NFL denies the charges and says player safety has long been a priority.

Fines

Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril and linebacker Stephen Tulloch have been fined $15,000 by the NFL for horse-collar tackles during last week’s win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Other fines announced by the league include Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes being docked $7,500 for excessive celebration after a score in a loss to Philadelphia, and Texans linebacker Brian Cushing being penalized $10,000 for hitting Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in the head and neck area. Also, Bengals linebacker Dan Skuta was fined $20,000 for an illegal blindside block, Bengals safety Chris Crocker was fined $15,000 for roughing the passer, Raiders defensive back Jerome Boyd was docked $20,000 for an illegal blindside block, and Giants linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul was fined $10,000 for an illegal hit on the quarterback.