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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The Atlanta Falcons revamped offensive line took a major setback Sunday when left tackle Sam Baker was ruled out for the year after injuring his right knee in a preseason game. The Falcons said the injury plagued Baker sustained a torn patellar tendon in a 32-7 loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday night. First-round pick Jake Matthews could move from right to left tackle to replace Baker, but the injury is a huge blow to Atlantas efforts to bolster a line that was one of the leagues worst a year ago. The Falcons ranked last in the league in yards rushing and quarterback Matt Ryan was sacked a career-high 44 times, in addition to being pressured 203 times, most in the NFL. Baker played in just four games because of a left knee injury that required surgery in November. The Falcons were counting on improvement with Bakers return, the drafting of Matthews with the No. 6 overall pick, and the signing of free-agent guard Jon Asamoah, another instant starter. Now, it looks like Matthews might have to start right away at left tackle, a more demanding position that protects the quarterbacks blind side. Or the Falcons could turn to Lamar Holmes, who struggled mightily while starting 15 games a year ago. "Following his injury in the game, Sam underwent a number of tests and it was determined that he had suffered a torn patellar tendon and will miss the rest of the season," coach Mike Smith said in a statement. "Sam had worked extremely hard to get back on the field after missing most of last season, and he was having a good camp. I know he is disappointed, but I also know he is a very resilient football player and will do whatever he can to bounce back." Baker, a first-round pick in 2008, has started 61 games in his career but injuries have hindered his progress. He has undergone three back surgeries and even lost his starting job during the 2011 season. After starting all 16 games in 2012, when the Falcons won the NFC South and reached the NFC championship game, Baker was re-signed to a six-year, $41.5 million deal. It hardly looks like money well spent. With the latest injury, Baker will play only four games in the first two years of his current deal. "Its tough," Ryan said. "You never like to see anybody go down, especially in the preseason." This is becoming a familiar woe for the Falcons. A year ago, Mike Johnson was projected to start at right tackle after the team decided not to re-sign Tyson Clabo. The move backfired when Johnson went down in training camp with a season-ending injury. Stitched Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys .com) - Theres nothing better for a team than to send out the staff ace in the most important game of the season. Custom New York Mets Nike Jerseys .com) - The Dallas Mavericks had a five-game winning streak snapped last time out, but theyll try to get back into the winners circle Sunday evening when the Milwaukee Bucks pay a visit to American Airlines Center. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.co...es-nike-jerseys. Team officials travelled to Los Angeles on Thursday night to meet with the free agent, a person with knowledge of the plans said. Custom Texas Rangers Nike Jerseys .K. Subban and Matt Duchene will be the two skaters sitting out the teams opening game. Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys . The Durban-based Sharks withstood a furious second-half fightback to beat the Queensland Reds 35-20 for a fourth straight win which gave them a five-point lead atop the championship table. The Hamilton-based Chiefs scored two late tries to beat the Cape Town-based Stormers 36-20 for their third win, after the Stormers rallied from 24-6 down to 24-20 with six minutes remaining.AUSTIN, Texas -- A Texas appeals court has rejected Lance Armstrongs attempts to block an arbitration panel from reviewing $12 million in bonuses paid to him by a company that wants its money back, a setback for the cyclist who is fighting multiple legal battles that could strip him of his personal fortune. The Dallas-based Fifth Court of Appeals temporarily halted the case at Armstrongs request in March, but ruled on Thursday it doesnt have jurisdiction at this stage of an arbitration matter. A spokesman for SCA Promotions said the ruling will allow the arbitration to proceed. The ruling was a defeat for Armstrong but not a final one. State law will allow him to appeal any final judgment if the panel rules against him. SCA Promotions wants to reopen a 2006 settlement it paid to Armstrong, and sued the cyclist after his 2013 admission to doping during his career to win the Tour de France. The arbitration panel that first approved the settlement agreed to reconsider the case, prompting Armstrong to ask the state courts to intervene. Armstrong attorney Tim Herman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursdays ruling. SCA and Armstrong have been battling since 2005, when the company first tried to withhold the bonus money and sought to prove he doped. Despite producing some of the most serious doping allegations at the time, SCA ultimately agreed too pay Armstrong.dddddddddddd Armstrongs attorneys insist state law doesnt allow SCA to reopen the original settlement, which included a clause that said "no party may challenge, appeal or attempt to set aside" the payment and that it was "fully and forever binding." But given Armstrongs doping admission and SCAs claims that it reached the settlement only because of fraudulent efforts by Armstrong, the arbitration panel agreed to consider the companys case for repayment. The appeals court said it cant step in until there is a final judgment from the arbitration panel. "As a general matter, an arbitration must be complete before appellate review is appropriate," the court wrote in its opinion. Armstrong has faced several lawsuits since admitting last year that he used steroids and other performance-enhancers to win the Tour de France every year from 1999-2005. He has settled cases with the London-based Sunday Times and Nebraska-based Acceptance Insurance. Armstrong settled with Acceptance, which paid him $3 million in bonuses similar to SCA, hours before he was scheduled to be questioned under oath. He also is facing a federal whistleblower lawsuit, as the government wants to recover more than $30 million the U.S. Postal Service paid to Armstrongs teams. Potential penalties in that case could be as high as $100 million. ' ' '