As his rookie season progressed in 2014, Bengals running back Jeremy Hill saw a steady rise in his workload.
Giovani Bernard got the larger share of work in the first half of the season, but missed a few games with injuries in midseason to open the door for Hill. Hill averaged over 18 carries a game over the final 10 weeks and turned in five games with at least 100 rushing yards to become the main man in Cincinnati’s running game. Bernard remained a contributor, especially in the passing game, but Hill was the top dog as long as he was running well.
Despite that seeming shift, Hill says that offensive coordinator Hue Jackson is planning on balanced approach between the two backs in 2015.
“Obviously there’s going to be a balanced attack,” Hill said, via ESPN.com. “I don’t think he’s got to wear either one of us out, so that way we can make it through all 16 games for a playoff push.”
Hill averaged more than five yards a carry last season and it’s tough to take that production off the field even with Bernard proving himself to be a capable back the last two seasons. The Bengals ran the ball almost half the time last year, though, and that leaves a lot of work for both backs since there’s no sign things are going to swing back the other way.