Bernard's backfield mate Jeremy Hill re-injured his chest during Sunday's 28-14 loss at Dallas, ESPN reports

EDGE Analysis

Bernard got his first start of the season in Sunday's game, even though the Bengals opened in a one-wide formation with two tight ends and H-back Ryan Hewitt all on the field. Such a formation would typically be Jeremy Hill's domain, so the decision to start Bernard may have been related to the former's chest injury. As it turns out, the Bengals fell behind by multiple scores early in the game, necessitating a pass-first approach that favored Bernard over Hill, who then re-injured his chest and thus finished with just four touches (all carries). With everything working in favor of his workload, Bernard gained 50 yards on nine carries and 46 yards on six receptions (six targets). While Hill's health will play a role in determining Bernard's Week 6 workload, a road matchup against the Patriots already works strongly in Gio's favor, as there's a good chance the Bengals will have to play from behind again. Also, the Patriots are allowing just 3.7 yards per carry and 86.4 rushing yards per game, suggesting Bernard could be more useful than Hill even if both are healthy and the game stays close.