Why Jeremy Hill's Emergence Is Great News for Gio Bernard and Bengals Offense

The Cincinnati Bengals' leader in both rushing yards and yards from scrimmage, Giovani Bernard, was inactive for Sunday's 33-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and could also miss the team's upcoming Thursday night game against the Cleveland Browns.

Bernard is dealing with shoulder and hip injuries that, while not considered serious or long-term, have forced him to the sidelines for now.

For most teams, losing a player so integral to the offense means frantic attempts to adjust and compensate. However, the Bengals, with their dedication to running the ball this season, had just the right person on the roster to make up for Bernard's absence: rookie rusher Jeremy Hill. 

Hill, taken in the second round of this year's draft, had only 50 carries going into Week 9's game, earning him 195 yards and three touchdowns. He was averaging 3.9 yards per carry and 27.9 rushing yards per game. He also had 13 catches on 15 targets for 131 yards and 61 yards after the catch.

	Atts.	Yds.	YPA	TD	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec. TD
1st 7	50	195	3.9	3	15	13	131	0
Week 9	24	154	6.4	2	1	1	9	0

However, Hill stepped up in a big way for Cincinnati on Sunday, getting a heavy workload in a game where the Bengals trailed only briefly in the first quarter. He had 24 of the Bengals' collective 34 rushing attempts, earning him 154 yards and two touchdowns, the second a 60-yard score that assured his team a 10-point victory. The Bengals also had 11 rushing first downs in the game, mostly thanks to Hill.

It was Hill's first 100-yard rushing performance of the season and the Bengals' second, with Bernard doing so last month against the Carolina Panthers, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Paul Dehner Jr. 

Hill spoke to Bengals.com's Geoff Hobson earlier in the week about the prospect of starting, saying, "I always prepare myself like I'm the No. 1 guy, so every rep I get, I don't take it for granted and not go full speed." Based on his performance on Sunday, that wasn't just lip service. 

This is good news for the Bengals, not just during Bernard's absence, but for the duration of Hill's and Bernard's tenure as the team's featured tandem of backs.

On the one hand, the Bengals clearly have in Hill someone capable of not just filling in for an injured Bernard but making it look like a seamless transition. On the other, Hill's emergence means that the Bengals can lean less heavily on Bernard, keeping him better protected from injury. 

Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson does not believe that giving Bernard a heavy workload caused his injuries, saying to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey last week:

"

I know because of his size and whatnot people say that, but I don't believe that's the case. The things where he was nicked up didn't come from taking too much. It just came from somebody tackling him and hitting him in the right spot.

"

However, Hill's rushing ability can keep Bernard better protected. There is no reason not to have a more even split of carries with both Hill and Bernard proving effective. With Bernard already banged up this year—and with Hill briefly leaving Sunday's game with a knee injury—a division of labor might just be in the Bengals' best interest as their playoff push begins in earnest.

Hill said to Harvey and the assembled media after the game that he "wanted to take advantage of this starting opportunity."

Hill certainly did. Now, the Bengals must take advantage of what Hill showed them and find ways for both to get significant playing time once Bernard returns. There's no reason to keep a weapon like Hill on the bench even with a healthy Bernard regaining his starting job. 

Bernard's playmaking ability was established last season, and there's no reason for him to be demoted because of one good game by Hill. But with Hill showing he's a playmaker in his own right, the Bengals' run game—and offense as a whole—gains another facet.

Hill's in-your-face running style is the perfect complement to Bernard's speed and elusiveness. Instead of spelling Bernard, Hill should split time with him. This gives the Bengals a true one-two punch in the run game that could drive the offense through the second half of the season and into the playoffs.