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Hits keep coming for Bengals, who reportedly lose Gio Bernard to torn ACL
Ready for some more bad news, Cincinnati Bengals fans? Well, you have no choice.
Running back Gio Bernard, who is the team’s second-leading rusher as well as second on the team in receptions, suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Bengals also lost wide receiver A.J. Green to a serious, possible season-ending hamstring injury.
It’s not exactly clear when Bernard suffered the injury, but Bernard did come up gimpy after his final reception of the game Sunday with just under a minute left. He caught four passes in the final two minutes of the game and was the intended receiver on the Bengals’ second-to-last play of the game. He ran the ball seven times for 21 yards and caught five passes for 40 yards in the 16-12 loss that dropped the Bengals to 3-6-1.
On the season, Bernard ran the ball 91 times for 337 yards with two touchdowns and caught 39 passes for 336 yards and a TD. He was also second on the team in receptions. Green and Bernard accounted for 45 percent of the Bengals’ receptions this season through Week 11.
The team still has starting back Jeremy Hill, plus reserve Rex Burkhead. Rookie wide receiver Tyler Boyd also played some receiver at Pitt when injuries mounted last season for the Panthers. The Bengals also could promote Tra Carson, a rookie from Texas A&M, from the practice squad, but he’s more of a power back in the mold of Hill. The Bengals are losing a major part of their passing game unless Burkhead can fill that void.
But no matter how you cut it, the Bengals lost a game Sunday that pretty much ended any faint hopes of making the postseason and also lost two big contributors to possible season-ending injuries. It has been that kind of season.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!
