Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews ruled out against Bengals

Atlanta Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews went down with a diagnosed high ankle sprain during the season-opening victory over the New Orleans Saints, and to this point, he has not been anything approaching a full participant in practice in preparation for the Cincinnati Bengals in week two. As a result, head coach Mike Smith announced on Friday afternoon that the 2014 first round pick has been ruled out for the game.

In place of Jake Matthews, the Falcons have indicated that they will deploy veteran offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, and while he has been serviceable in multiple stops around the league, this is a severe downgrade. Carimi surrendered a sack and multiple hurries in limited action against New Orleans, and at the left tackle spot (also known as “the blind side”), he will be under attack from a quality defensive line on the Bengals side.

Matthews did return to the practice field for some highly limited work on Friday, lending credence to a somewhat speedy recovery, but it will be intriguing to see how he progresses as the Falcons look toward a week three battle with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Stay tuned.