Jeremy Hill rebounds with three touchdowns in Bengals win
Bengals running back Jeremy Hill looked like his 2014 self again during Sunday's 36-21 win over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs.
Hill scored three times with touchdown runs of 8, 5, and 1 yard. He only carried nine times for 40 yards, but more importantly, he was running with the authority that's been missing from his first three games. Hill refused to be denied on his first two scores, breaking tackles just like offensive coordinator Hue Jackson has been waiting for. Hill punctuated the game's opening drive by stiff arming rookie corner Marcus Peters the Kansas City 5 before storming to the goal line.
“We needed to start fast. That’s something we preach all the time," Hill said via Bengals.com. "To finish a drive off by punching it in there was big. It set the tone for the game.”
Hill entered Sunday averaging just 3.0 yards per carry, but even more troubling was a pair of fumbles that led to his benching in Week 2 against San Diego. Hill found himself on the sideline in the second half again last Sunday in Baltimore after managing just 21 yards on 12 carries.
"I kept asking him, ‘What happened to Jeremy Hill?,’ quarterback Andy Dalton said. "Jeremy played like he is capable [of playing] today. We haven’t forgotten what he brings to this team. Things just haven’t gone his way a couple of times this season. Those things happen. Big day for him today, and a big game for Gio [Bernard] too. I am proud of those guys.”
Jackson said he was keeping the faith in his starting running back earlier in the week. While Giovani Bernard still had more touches Sunday, the load was shared more equally with Bernard getting 13 carries to Hill's nine.
The Bengals are hoping Hill continues to trend up so that he can equal or match his production from his rookie season, when he rushed for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns.
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