A makeshift offensive line aligns in front of quarterback Joe Burrow for the second consecutive road playoff game on Sunday after the Cincinnati Bengals ruled out left tackle Jonah Williams and right guard Alex Cappa.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Friday that neither lineman was ready to return from injuries. Williams is dealing with a knee injury, while Cappa has an injured ankle.
That means Cincinnati will use Max Scharping at right guard and Jackson Carman at left tackle.
A frenzied environment in Kansas City won’t be a factor for Carman, he said.
Carman lined up for 35 snaps at right guard in the 2021 AFC Championship game. He also was the starting left tackle for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence when they were teammates at Clemson.
“We have a culture of winners and extremely humble, hard-working men,” Carman said. “It’s crazy to see what type of men. I’m walking with amazing people. I can’t overstate that enough.”
Carman’s primary assignment at left tackle is defensive end Frank Clark, who posted 5.0 sacks in the regular season while battling a pinched nerve in his neck.
Scharping will be in that right guard spot, which means a long evening dancing with Chiefs sack leader Chris Jones (15.5).
The Chiefs’ defense had a total of 18 pressures of Lawrence last week, with six QB hits and two sacks.
Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst practiced Friday after being limited with a calf injury on Thursday. Hurst said he’ll be in the lineup on Sunday.
Taylor said cornerback Tre Flowers, who didn’t play last week, is set to play and has no injury designation on the team’s final report released Friday.
–Field Level Media
