After 13 games it sounds like Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is moving to one running back to take the bulk of the carries and the conventional wisdom is it is going to be rookie Jeremy Hill and his 4.7 yards per average.
Since Giovani Bernard returned to the lineup three games ago against Houston, Hill has carried it 39 times and Bernard 33, but Jackson doesn’t like the total average per of 3.9 yards.
“I'm used to having one guy kind of dominate some carries because in order for backs to be really good, they've got to get lathered up to play,” Jackson said after Wednesday’s practice. “You've got to get a feel for the game. We have two capable guys and they're different guys and we'll let it play itself out, but I think we have a pretty good idea which way we're headed…Those guys are very capable. I just don't think I did a very good job this past week.”
There's nothing definitive here, but it sounds as if Jackson is approaching Week 15 with a slightly different plan than the split he's used in recent weeks. Hill is averaging almost a full yard more per carry, so common sense would dictate that he would get the majority of the carries. Reading between the lines, this doesn't bode well for Bernard.
Bengals news
