Bengals rule out Jonah Williams, Alex Cappa for divisional round game against Bills

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor ruled out starting left tackle Jonah Williams and right guard Alex Cappa for Sunday’s divisional round contest against the Buffalo Bills.

The Bengals will be without three of their starting offensive linemen in Buffalo, including right tackle La’el Collins who tore his ACL on Christmas Eve. Hakeem Adeniji has started in place of Collins for the final weeks of the season.

Williams, 25, dislocated his kneecap against the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. He was unable to practice all week but was moving better around the facility towards the end of the week. Williams has started every game for the Bengals at left tackle since the 2021 season.

Former second-round pick Jackson Carman will start in place of Williams. Carman played left tackle at Clemson but was moved inside to play guard in his first season in the NFL. He started six games at guard for Cincinnati last season.

“His attitude's been great, he's continued to work knowing that his opportunity can come at any moment, at any position really,” Taylor said. “It happens to be left tackle right now. I think he's really taken ahold of it. Proud of the progress that he's made.”

With Cappa out due to an ankle injury, Max Scharping will continue to get the start at right guard. Scharping started against the Ravens in the wild-card round and Taylor was pleased with his performance.

Cappa’s loss to the Bengals’ offensive line is a big one as he is the team’s best player at that position. Looking to shore up the interior of Joe Burrow’s pocket after the 2021 season, Cincinnati’s front office signed Cappa right away at the start of free agency. Cappa signed a four-year, $40 million deal with the Bengals in March.

Scharping, a 2019 second-round pick, played three seasons for the Texans and started 33 games during his tenure in Houston. The Bengals signed Scharping off waivers prior to the start of the season hoping to add veteran depth to the offensive line for this very reason.

When asked how he felt about the synergy of the offensive line this week in practice, Taylor was optimistic about his group 48 hours out.

“I thought they did a good job,” Taylor said. “I think they are ready to go. Guys are ready to take advantage of their opportunities.”

Regarding the status of Williams and Cappa if the Bengals are to win in Buffalo and advance to the AFC Championship, Taylor said it will still be “week-to-week.”

The Bills registered four sacks against the Dolphins last week in their 34-31 win and 40 total during the reuglar season.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals rule out Jonah Williams, Alex Cappa for playoff game vs. Bills