Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Keys to the Offseason

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Curing Jeremy Hill

Just shy of 800 yards with 11 touchdowns is a pretty good stat line for most running backs that split carries, but when you’re a second year back who ran for 1,100 yards your rookie season, it seems lackluster. Maybe you can mark it up as a sophomore slump, but Hill’s struggles this year should be seriously looked at.

Jan 9, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill (32) against the Pittsburgh Steelers during a AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Hill was an animal his rookie season after being drafted in the second round out of LSU, averaging over 5 yards per carry and hitting the end zone 9 times. This season it seemed like Hill saw the ball hit the turf almost as much as he hit the end zone. Losing all three of his fumbles, Hill’s issues translated into the playoffs as a lost fumble in the fourth quarter led to the game winning field goal by the Steelers’ Chris Boswell.

The 2016 season is going to have to be a huge one for Hill, who will be competing with Giovani Bernard for the majority of the snaps. Hill has the talent to be one of football’s best running backs, now it is just a matter of the numbers matching the talent.