What's the Best Role in Bengals Offense for Giovani Bernard Going Forward?

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard has missed two games with shoulder and hip injuries and could miss Week 11's contest against the New Orleans Saints as well. But when he comes back, it doesn't look like he'll be taking many touches away from rookie Jeremy Hill.

NFL Network's Albert Breer reported prior to the Bengals' Week 10 matchup with the Cleveland Browns that not only would Bernard miss that contest, but that his absence could extend further. And, upon his return, "coaches won't be going away from" Hill.

So where does that leave Bernard, whom offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said back in February would get "a lot" of carries this year?

Bernard broke out in his rookie season in 2013, with 170 carries for 695 yards and five touchdowns and 56 receptions for 514 yards and three more scores. He had 1,209 yards from scrimmage and was the team's second-leading rusher and third-leading receiver.

This season, marred both by his injuries and by the emergence of Hill, Bernard's touches are down. He's rushed 109 times thus far for 446 yards and five touchdowns, matching his scoring total from last year as a rusher. He has also caught 22 passes for 179 yards. 

Hill has proven more than capable of filling in for Bernard and taking his touches. This season, Hill has rushed 86 times for 404 yards and five rushing touchdowns and has caught 15 passes on 18 targets for 146 additional yards. He is averaging 4.7 yards per rush, aided immensely by his Week 9 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which he had 154 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

In contrast, Bernard is averaging 4.1 yards per carry, the same as in 2013. This is certainly not a bad average, but it is lower than Hill's. Suddenly, the versatile Bernard is being matched by the equally versatile Hill. Add in injuries, and it seems as though the arrow is pointed toward the rookie and away from Bernard.

Player	Atts.	Yds.	YPR	Rush TD	Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	YPC	Rec. TD
Bernard	109	446	4.1	5	34	22	64.7%	8.1	0
Hill	86	404	4.7	5	18	15	83.3%	9.7	0

Prior to his injury, Bernard's snaps had been going down. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Bernard opened the season playing 86.6 percent of the Bengals' offensive snaps. That dropped to 63.9 percent in Week 2. He played 80 percent of the snaps against the New England Patriots in Week 5, but in his most recent game, in Week 8, he was on the field for 54.3 percent of the snaps.

With Hill proving he can catch as well as run, Bernard's role will be more specialized going forward. Expect him to see third-down work and, based on his success scoring touchdowns this year and the last, goal-line carries and passing targets. But especially between the 20s, it looks like Hill will be the primary running back.

Bernard's third-down passing value, however, cannot be understated. Presently, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton is averaging 7.1 yards per pass on third downs, while Bernard is averaging 8.1 yards per reception. Dalton has a completion percentage of 61.3 percent on 3rd-and-6 or less and 58.5 percent on 3rd-and-long.

Meanwhile, Bernard has a catch percentage this year of 64.7. Throwing to Bernard more often on third down, therefore, would likely produce a conversion more often than by targeting someone else. It's a way to keep Bernard involved in the offense without him being the team's go-to rusher and a way to take advantage of his shifty, elusive running style.

John Grieshop/Getty Images

That is, of course, if Hill doesn't take third-down passing work away from Bernard, too. Hill is averaging 9.7 yards per reception this season and has caught 83.3 percent of passes thrown his way. Though he's not getting a high volume of passing targets, he is doing more with what he is given.

Still, Bernard has been targeted nearly twice as much as Hill this season, even while missing the last two games. Therefore, third downs should remain Bernard's domain when the Bengals want to pass the ball. 

It appears the Bengals coaching staff has recognized limits to Bernard's game that they hadn't initially considered. While fast and difficult to tackle, Bernard is small at 5'9" and 208 pounds. He lacks the power that the 6'1", 238-pound Hill wields as his most deadly weapon.

It was even evident in 2013, when Bernard had a great season but the more physical BenJarvus Green-Ellis was the team's leading rusher. Now they have a younger version of Green-Ellis in Hill and have seen just how effective a runner of that style can be in their offense.

Bernard and Hill have complementary styles, which means that a timeshare between the two upon Bernard's return wouldn't be a major surprise. Bernard will have a role—a more limited one than initially expected, but he'll still be part of the Bengals' playmaking corps on offense.

Bernard's touches as a running back will likely decrease, but his passing targets will rise—he'll probably finish the year again as a top-three receiver for the Bengals. This might seem like a disappointment considering how much praise Jackson and the other Bengals coaches heaped upon Bernard heading into this year. 

However, Hill has earned increased work, whether Bernard is healthy or not. The Bengals, and Bernard, will have to adapt to this new reality in order to get the most out of the offense. Bernard will still be a key player on third downs, in the red zone and as a receiver. But it doesn't look like he'll be the Bengals' leading rusher for 2014.