Bengals' Revived Run Game Gives Team Shot at AFC Crown After Sweep of Browns

After a 37-3 whipping to complete the season sweep of the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals have eyes set on the No. 1 seed in the AFC. 

The team believes, but spectators should, too, thanks to the improving run game.

Cincinnati dazzled early in the season with seemingly new-and-improved quarterback Andy Dalton under center as the team got out to a franchise-best 8-0 start before dropping two games.

Over the first 10 games of the season, Dalton tossed multiple touchdowns seven times, threw multiple interceptions in a game just once and had tight end Tyler Eifert fighting for the NFL lead in receiving touchdowns.

After two losses, though, Cincinnati got back to its run-first roots.

Meaning, running back Jeremy Hill re-assumed the spotlight as a centerpiece of the offense. In a Week 12, 31-7 thumping of the St. Louis Rams, Hill hit on season-bests in yards and average with 16 carries for 86 yards, good for 5.4 yards per pop.

Sunday was more of the same, as Hill took 22 carries for 98 yards and a score, this time not only setting a season-best in yards but in longest run, with one coming in at 17 yards.

In total, the Bengals rushed the ball 33 times for 144 yards and a pair of scores, with Dalton adding one of his own while he attempted just 19 passes.

The dominance on the ground wasn't just a product of easy matchups, either, though the Browns did enter allowing 135.6 rushing yards per game, which helped. St. Louis, on the other hand, had only allowed four backfields to rush for more than 100 yards before meeting the Bengals.

To be fair, running back Giovani Bernard has run well all season with 581 yards and two scores, good for a 5.1 yards-per-carry average. But it's not sustainable for a guy who comes in at 5'9" and 205 pounds and must shoulder the load as a passing-down back, too. Asking him to handle the bulk of the work and take double-digit carries for a full 17 weeks plus the postseason never made sense.

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Hill? That makes sense. Remember, as a rookie last year he didn't start seeing consistent double-digit touches until mid-October, and from there he posted five 100-yard outings and six of his nine touchdowns.

This year, it seems Hill's hitting his groove a tad later than expected, but it's right on time for a Bengals team in serious contention for a conference title and bye week.

So much so, in fact, that the Bengals don't even have to worry about the AFC North with the Pittsburgh Steelers middling around .500 and them up next on the schedule—which is another chance to complete a season sweep.

The heavyweights are the competition now, specifically the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos. All sit in the double-digit win range with Cincinnati, but New England just took its first loss of the season last week and Denver has to get by with a backup under center.

Folks will recall, of course, that the Bengals welcomed the Broncos to Cincinnati last year and won a 37-28 classic while picking off Peyton Manning four times. The two meet again in Week 16 in what has the looks of a defensive and quite winnable affair for the Bengals.

Cincinnati doesn't get a shot at New England, but the Patriots continue to look like one of the league's most injured teams by the week. Tom Brady and Co. have to finish the season with a pair of AFC East divisional matchups, which won't come easy if the team can't get tight end Rob Gronkowski and other major contributors back on the field.

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Call it the perfect storm. It's an overall mediocre year for the top-heavy AFC. The Bengals happen to be among the top and are rounding into form at just the right time as others deal with injury and quarterback issues, among other ailments.

For the Bengals to perfect their run-first approach now caps everything off. After swatting Cleveland away as if it were a gnat, coach Marvin Lewis told ESPN.com's Coley Harvey that the approach won't change the rest of the way. "Marvin Lewis says the message his coordinators all shared this week was that they couldn't let opponent dictate how they played. Opponents now are 'nameless, faceless,' Harvey said. 'We've got to outwork them.'"

Down the home stretch, Cincinnati won't defect from a run-first approach, which makes sense given the fact the best teams the Bengals could encounter in the postseason, including those at the top with them, Pittsburgh and the Indianapolis Colts, all lean on high-powered passing offenses that a strong dose of Hill could neutralize. 

Maybe getting Hill going late in the season was the plan all along. Maybe not. Either way, it's working and has these Bengals aspiring to more than ever before.

Master plan or not, don't expect Lewis' Bengals to revolutionize offensively with Hill and the rest of the backfield running so well and making life easy for Dalton and the passing game. 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.