Bengals still have a huge issue to overcome heading into AFC title game vs. Chiefs

Last week, any talk of the Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills game included a mention of the Bengals' offensive line injuries.

Those injuries haven't gone away just because the Bengals had a good win last week.

The Bengals will still be without three starting offensive linemen this week. Left tackle Jonah Williams or guard Alex Cappa were ruled out for Sunday's AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Right tackle La'el Collins has been out since late December with a torn ACL.

Last week the Bills didn't get much pressure despite the Bengals being down three linemen. The snow seemed to slow down the Bills' pass rush. It certainly didn't hurt the Bengals' makeshift line.

The Bengals did well to protect quarterback Joe Burrow last week, but it's still a potential problem against the Chiefs.

The Bengals did well to fill in for those three linemen and still function at a high level. Last season the Bengals made the Super Bowl despite a below-average offensive line, so they're used to playing around offensive line issues. That doesn't make it easy.

The Chiefs don't have a great defense but they do rush the passer well. Their 55 sacks this season were second in the NFL. Only the Philadelphia Eagles had more. Defensive lineman Chris Jones is one of the best in the NFL and the Bengals will have to figure out ways to keep him and the rest of the Chiefs' defensive front from getting to Burrow.

Cincinnati is capable of winning despite its offensive line injuries. But it's a storyline that could come into play on Sunday evening.