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Both Miami and Cincinnati would like for this weekend to be better than last. After huge losses in non-conference games, each team needs a win to help keep them in the running for a bowl game. The Hurricanes cannot afford another loss. The Miami program is in a situation where another loss and any losses in the ACC for that matter could result in some heavy decisions being made regarding Al Golden’s future in South Florida. Here are a few things to know about this game.

BOTH TEAMS NEED A WIN

A rib injury forced Gunner Kiel out of the 27-point blowout against Memphis, which racked up 610 offensive yards on the Bearcats.

One week after earning an important win over Coastal Division foe Duke, Miami collapsed during the second half of a 27-17 loss to Georgia Tech.

This is the 12th meeting between the two programs and first since 1998. The Hurricanes hold a 10-1 series advantage over Cincinnati, including a 5-0 mark at home.

SOLID QUARTERBACK PLAY

Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville is preparing for Kiel being unavailable. Fortunately for the Bearcats, their backup quarterback is hardly a typical backup.

Though Munchie Legaux is certainly far from the caliber Kiel has proven to be, Cincinnati can still use an experienced player under center against a downtrodden Miami defense.

Legaux started more than a handful of games before an absolutely horrific injury ended his 2013 campaign. The senior has amassed 2,915 yards and 20 touchdowns on 415 career attempts, plus 652 yards and seven scores on the ground.

The Bearcats must be prepared for a shootout, and Legaux will likely be tasked with matching the 'Canes talented offense.

THE OFFENSE CANNOT REST

Miami offensive coordinator James Coley needs to keep Brad Kaaya and Co. moving quickly.

Memphis gashed Cincinnati both on the ground and through the air, allowing a 170-yard performance by running back Sam Craft and a catch of 20-plus yards to five Tigers receivers.

Saturday, the 'Canes will boast Duke Johnson, Phillip Dorsett, Braxton Berrios, Clive Walford, Malcolm Lewis, Herb Waters and Stacy Coley, each of whom are capable of picking up long gains.

The more chances they get to make an explosive play, the safer bet Miami will shred its opposition.

THE DEFENSE MUST REST

During three losses, opponents have converted 27-of-43 third or fourth downs on the Miami defense, whereas that number plummets to 15-of-59 in three wins.

While time of possession tends to be an overrated stat, Georgia Tech holding the ball for more than 40 minutes was a major factor in deciding the recent conference bout.

The Hurricanes offense could flat out destroy Cincy, but the unit can't do anything when it's not on the field.

MIAMI WINS BY A THREAD

This is a case where the offensive weapons from Miami are better than the Bearcats. Look for the Hurricanes to pull this one out by the skin of their teeth.

MIAMI 27 CINCINNATI 25

Both Miami and Cincinnati would like for this weekend to be better than last. After huge losses in non-conference games, each team needs a win to help keep them in the running for a bowl game. The Hurricanes cannot afford another loss. The Miami program is in a situation where another loss and any losses in the ACC for that matter could result in some heavy decisions being made regarding Al Golden’s future in South Florida. Here are a few things to know about this game.

BOTH TEAMS NEED A WIN

A rib injury forced Gunner Kiel out of the 27-point blowout against Memphis, which racked up 610 offensive yards on the Bearcats.

One week after earning an important win over Coastal Division foe Duke, Miami collapsed during the second half of a 27-17 loss to Georgia Tech.

This is the 12th meeting between the two programs and first since 1998. The Hurricanes hold a 10-1 series advantage over Cincinnati, including a 5-0 mark at home.

SOLID QUARTERBACK PLAY

Bearcats head coach Tommy Tuberville is preparing for Kiel being unavailable. Fortunately for the Bearcats, their backup quarterback is hardly a typical backup.

Though Munchie Legaux is certainly far from the caliber Kiel has proven to be, Cincinnati can still use an experienced player under center against a downtrodden Miami defense.

Legaux started more than a handful of games before an absolutely horrific injury ended his 2013 campaign. The senior has amassed 2,915 yards and 20 touchdowns on 415 career attempts, plus 652 yards and seven scores on the ground.

The Bearcats must be prepared for a shootout, and Legaux will likely be tasked with matching the 'Canes talented offense.

THE OFFENSE CANNOT REST

Miami offensive coordinator James Coley needs to keep Brad Kaaya and Co. moving quickly.

Memphis gashed Cincinnati both on the ground and through the air, allowing a 170-yard performance by running back Sam Craft and a catch of 20-plus yards to five Tigers receivers.

Saturday, the 'Canes will boast Duke Johnson, Phillip Dorsett, Braxton Berrios, Clive Walford, Malcolm Lewis, Herb Waters and Stacy Coley, each of whom are capable of picking up long gains.

The more chances they get to make an explosive play, the safer bet Miami will shred its opposition.

THE DEFENSE MUST REST

During three losses, opponents have converted 27-of-43 third or fourth downs on the Miami defense, whereas that number plummets to 15-of-59 in three wins.

While time of possession tends to be an overrated stat, Georgia Tech holding the ball for more than 40 minutes was a major factor in deciding the recent conference bout.

The Hurricanes offense could flat out destroy Cincy, but the unit can't do anything when it's not on the field.

MIAMI WINS BY A THREAD

This is a case where the offensive weapons from Miami are better than the Bearcats. Look for the Hurricanes to pull this one out by the skin of their teeth.

MIAMI 27 CINCINNATI 25

This season has got me confused. I forgot what day it is today, partly because I could've sworn I was watching Thursday Night Football yesterday. 26 point win to the home team? Sounds like a typical Thursday. We had a team with a tiger mascot that played more like itty bitty puddycats instead. We had a team that was done, a dynasty ended, a team that couldn't put up points put up 43 against (until now) the most distruptive defence in the league. What the hell happened?

On face value, it's kinda simple. In a way, I can't believe I tipped the Bengals. This was a spot perfect for the Patriots.

Since the beginning of the 2003 season, the Patriots are 36-4 in regular-season games following a loss. The win over Cincy is the Patriots ninth straight victory after a loss. The Patriots have won their previous three games following a loss by an average of 20 points. They beat Cincy by 26.

 In recent history, the Patriots have been almost perfect throughout this stretch of the season. They have only dropped one home game in October in the last 11 years. On top of that, the Patriots had beaten the last 31 AFC teams that have come to New England. That streak now continues at 32.

So that begs the question....why the hell did I tip the Bengals? Like many, I got caught up in way the Bengals have dominated opponents in the opening few games, and I underestimated the coaching advantage the Patriots came into the game with. Whilst I stew over yet another bad tip, let's have a look at three things we learned from Cincinnati at New England : 

Cincinnati just cannot play in Prime Time
       
Since Andy Dalton became the starting quarterback for this franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals have played 10 prime time games. They've won just two of those, with their losses coming by an average of 16.3 points. That means the Bengals don't just lose in prime time - they get dominated.

It's hard to say exactly why this is the case, but surely there is something to it. How can a team continuously underperform when the spotlight is fixated on them? Do we blame the quarterback? Dalton actually played decently against the Patriots, so it would be hard to blame him for ALL the prime time woes. It just seems there may be a fault in the fabric of this team.

Whatever the reason, I think it's safe to say our feelings towards the Bengals have been confirmed : This is not a big game team.
 
 
The Patriots are a ridiculously well coached team 
     

This may have been a game featuring the two teams with the longest tenured head coaches at their current post in the league, but this game was about only one of those coaches. Love him or hate him, Bill Bellichek is the best coach in the game. Perhaps the greatest of all time.
 
      Whilst we talk about the genius of less experienced coaches such as Chip Kelly, Bruce Arians, and Sean Payton, there is simply no head coach that is consistently more creative then Bill Bellichek. He continues to find new ways to be successful even though his team goes into just about every season with a target on it's back. Everybody goes into the year knowing the Patriots are one of the teams to beat, yet they still find ways to succeed.

     
      This game has once again shown why he is such a brilliant coaching mind. He was able to find creative ways to run the football, against a defence which has been very stout up till this point of the season. The Patriots finished with 220 yards rushing, at an average of 4.8 yards per carry. He was able to get Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen into open space with clever play calling, and made the Bengals pay, especially on third down, where they were succesful 37% of the time. In contrast, the Bengals didn't convert a single third down. The single part of the game the Patriots dominated more then any other was on the sideline. 

      Although the Patriots dominated this game, and the headlines may be all about how overblown the regression of Tom Brady has been, Brady still showed signs that he isn't the quarterback he used to be. He seemed to be intent on proving he still has the ability to throw it deep, yet on a bunch of those throws he just didn't have the zip needed. He hasn't lost much on timing routes with receivers cutting across the middle of the field, and obviously has the vision that can allow him to complete key short to intermediate passes. That said, this game was more about the             creative play calling then it was about Brady.

      For me, I think this game WAS a statement. The statement I heard? This isn't Brady's team. It's Bill's team. 
 
 
 
Both these defences can be had 
     

Whilst a dominating performance by the New Engladn Patriots, there were still signs that this defence can be exposed. Whilst it might have been obvious on the Cincinnati side, there were still times when the New England defence was slashed. The Bengals ran 48 plays, for an average of 6.7 yards per play. They were quite conservative with the run game, yet made a few big plays in the passing game down the field.

The secondary for New England is still a bit hit or miss, with the potential for multiple pick games, yet also can give up some big plays. Teams that mix up the run game, throwing in some sweeps, counters, to keep this defence honest, can certainly have success down the field. The Patriots came to rely on Aquib Talib being on the field last season, and that may be the case with Darrelle Revis this season. When he came off the field for a few plays Cincinnati were able to score, and just looked more dangerous when he wasn't in the mix. Look for his availability throughout the season to be a big factor for this team going forward. 

      The Bengals should bounce back after this game, and again be a stout defence, especially through the air. Possibly the most glaring fact coming out of this game was how much of a loss losing Vontaze Burfict is for this team.
     

I'll go on record and say he may very well be the most important player for this Cincinnati team.
     

He's missed the past two weeks, and whilst he wasn't missed too much against Tenessee, he was certainly missed against the Patriots. His importance was highlighted in week 1. When he was on the field the Baltimore Ravens could not move the ball on the Bengals defence, yet when he went out of the game the Ravens were able to make plays and move the chains. Burfict's ability in the middle of the field is vital to this side and he is a huge part of this defence.
 
      All in all, a very professional, efficient performance from a Patriots team that has shown us once again they are not to be underestimated. Coupled with a poor performance by a team many had pegged as the best in the AFC, and once again we have to re-evaluate who is who in this conference. A lot of football to be played, and if last night showed us anything, it's that this Patriots team are not to be written off.
 
      
 

This season has got me confused. I forgot what day it is today, partly because I could've sworn I was watching Thursday Night Football yesterday. 26 point win to the home team? Sounds like a typical Thursday. We had a team with a tiger mascot that played more like itty bitty puddycats instead. We had a team that was done, a dynasty ended, a team that couldn't put up points put up 43 against (until now) the most distruptive defence in the league. What the hell happened?

On face value, it's kinda simple. In a way, I can't believe I tipped the Bengals. This was a spot perfect for the Patriots.

Since the beginning of the 2003 season, the Patriots are 36-4 in regular-season games following a loss. The win over Cincy is the Patriots ninth straight victory after a loss. The Patriots have won their previous three games following a loss by an average of 20 points. They beat Cincy by 26.

 In recent history, the Patriots have been almost perfect throughout this stretch of the season. They have only dropped one home game in October in the last 11 years. On top of that, the Patriots had beaten the last 31 AFC teams that have come to New England. That streak now continues at 32.

So that begs the question....why the hell did I tip the Bengals? Like many, I got caught up in way the Bengals have dominated opponents in the opening few games, and I underestimated the coaching advantage the Patriots came into the game with. Whilst I stew over yet another bad tip, let's have a look at three things we learned from Cincinnati at New England : 

Cincinnati just cannot play in Prime Time
       
Since Andy Dalton became the starting quarterback for this franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals have played 10 prime time games. They've won just two of those, with their losses coming by an average of 16.3 points. That means the Bengals don't just lose in prime time - they get dominated.

It's hard to say exactly why this is the case, but surely there is something to it. How can a team continuously underperform when the spotlight is fixated on them? Do we blame the quarterback? Dalton actually played decently against the Patriots, so it would be hard to blame him for ALL the prime time woes. It just seems there may be a fault in the fabric of this team.

Whatever the reason, I think it's safe to say our feelings towards the Bengals have been confirmed : This is not a big game team.
 
 
The Patriots are a ridiculously well coached team 
     

This may have been a game featuring the two teams with the longest tenured head coaches at their current post in the league, but this game was about only one of those coaches. Love him or hate him, Bill Bellichek is the best coach in the game. Perhaps the greatest of all time.
 
      Whilst we talk about the genius of less experienced coaches such as Chip Kelly, Bruce Arians, and Sean Payton, there is simply no head coach that is consistently more creative then Bill Bellichek. He continues to find new ways to be successful even though his team goes into just about every season with a target on it's back. Everybody goes into the year knowing the Patriots are one of the teams to beat, yet they still find ways to succeed.

     
      This game has once again shown why he is such a brilliant coaching mind. He was able to find creative ways to run the football, against a defence which has been very stout up till this point of the season. The Patriots finished with 220 yards rushing, at an average of 4.8 yards per carry. He was able to get Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen into open space with clever play calling, and made the Bengals pay, especially on third down, where they were succesful 37% of the time. In contrast, the Bengals didn't convert a single third down. The single part of the game the Patriots dominated more then any other was on the sideline. 

      Although the Patriots dominated this game, and the headlines may be all about how overblown the regression of Tom Brady has been, Brady still showed signs that he isn't the quarterback he used to be. He seemed to be intent on proving he still has the ability to throw it deep, yet on a bunch of those throws he just didn't have the zip needed. He hasn't lost much on timing routes with receivers cutting across the middle of the field, and obviously has the vision that can allow him to complete key short to intermediate passes. That said, this game was more about the             creative play calling then it was about Brady.

      For me, I think this game WAS a statement. The statement I heard? This isn't Brady's team. It's Bill's team. 
 
 
 
Both these defences can be had 
     

Whilst a dominating performance by the New Engladn Patriots, there were still signs that this defence can be exposed. Whilst it might have been obvious on the Cincinnati side, there were still times when the New England defence was slashed. The Bengals ran 48 plays, for an average of 6.7 yards per play. They were quite conservative with the run game, yet made a few big plays in the passing game down the field.

The secondary for New England is still a bit hit or miss, with the potential for multiple pick games, yet also can give up some big plays. Teams that mix up the run game, throwing in some sweeps, counters, to keep this defence honest, can certainly have success down the field. The Patriots came to rely on Aquib Talib being on the field last season, and that may be the case with Darrelle Revis this season. When he came off the field for a few plays Cincinnati were able to score, and just looked more dangerous when he wasn't in the mix. Look for his availability throughout the season to be a big factor for this team going forward. 

      The Bengals should bounce back after this game, and again be a stout defence, especially through the air. Possibly the most glaring fact coming out of this game was how much of a loss losing Vontaze Burfict is for this team.
     

I'll go on record and say he may very well be the most important player for this Cincinnati team.
     

He's missed the past two weeks, and whilst he wasn't missed too much against Tenessee, he was certainly missed against the Patriots. His importance was highlighted in week 1. When he was on the field the Baltimore Ravens could not move the ball on the Bengals defence, yet when he went out of the game the Ravens were able to make plays and move the chains. Burfict's ability in the middle of the field is vital to this side and he is a huge part of this defence.
 
      All in all, a very professional, efficient performance from a Patriots team that has shown us once again they are not to be underestimated. Coupled with a poor performance by a team many had pegged as the best in the AFC, and once again we have to re-evaluate who is who in this conference. A lot of football to be played, and if last night showed us anything, it's that this Patriots team are not to be written off.
 
      
 

This is one of those games that should have been circled on the NFL calendar for months.

While Andrew Luck is clearly the quarterback to replace the older guard, who will stand next to him and take his place amongst the best in the NFL? Names like Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford come to mind. But we are all waiting for Andy Dalton to make his move.

This season appears to be the one where he turned the corner.

Whether it is the new contract he signed in the offseason or the new offense Hue Jackson has designed, these Bengals are flying high.

The Patriots, however, appear to be in a tailspin.

Can Tom Brady grab lightning in a bottle and turn his team’s fortunes around? It looks like the team of the past two decades is beginning to crumble.

Here are five things to know about this game.

ANOTHER TEST FOR THE BENGALS

Based on a story from cincyjungle.com, this is another test that faces this franchise this season.

The Bengals head to New England for a significant game against the Patriots that will undoubtedly hold major implications later this year -- conference record is a tie-breaker for the division and wild card. However, head-to-head is a tie-breaker for seeding and the difference between a bye week or wild card weekend.

The New England Patriots (who are scheduled to play the Monday Night game against the Chiefs) are an early 2.5-point favorite against the Bengals. Don't worry, Cincinnati is 3-0 against the spread this year... largely because they've won every game they've played.

BURFICT LIKELY OUT

The Pro Bowl linebacker still hasn't received clearance to return to practice after suffering a concussion two weeks ago against the Falcons.

Making matters worse, it was his second concussion in the span of eight days, after Burfict had one in the opener against Baltimore. The Bengals may be willing to play it safe and not play Burfict this week vs. New England.

Wide receiver Marvin Jones also missed practice Thursday after being held out Wednesday with what was called a tweaked ankle. He too is looking unlikely vs. the Pats after missing much of the past two months after breaking his foot in training camp.

It is possible starting guard Kevin Zeitler may not play as well on Sunday.

HIGH PRAISE FOR THE OPPONENT

Patriots coach Bill Belichick does not have much to say, but when he does, people do listen.

This is what he said on cincyjungle.com.

"It's been a while since I've seen a team that's as complete as they are – even going back the past (years), (when) they've been a playoff team," said Belichick. "Watching them through training camp, they're really a good football team. [They're] strong in all areas of the game: offense, defense, special teams. I think they've got an excellent approach to the game as an overall team. They play to it and they do it consistently and they've done it consistently."

DOBSON WILL NOT PLAY

The Patriots seem like a team without an identity. There isn’t the snap or visible fire in the team it usually displays. The receivers are below standard and the news of Aaron Dobson not active for the contest is proof there is turmoil in the franchise.

According to deadspin.com, Dobson is riding the pine because he has run on the wrong side of Josh McDaniels.

Dobson was decent last year as one of the three rookie receivers the Pats drafted or signed to try and give Tom Brady some weapons, tallying 37 catches for 519 yards in 12 games. Yet he's been inactive in Weeks 1, 3, and 4, and the Patriots dressed just three true wideouts Monday night, even though Dobson, who underwent foot surgery in the offseason, hasn't been listed on a single injury report this year (and Bill Belichick lists everyone).

BENGALS WIN

Cincinnati is not the only undefeated team in the AFC for nothing. I picked the Bengals to be the Super Bowl representative for a reason. Playing the best of the best is how you make your move in football. The Bengals are a team on the move.

The Patriots are not. These are teams moving in opposite directions.

In matchups like this, the cream rises to the top. Andy Dalton is rising. Tom Brady is falling.

BENGALS 33 PATRIOTS 27

This is one of those games that should have been circled on the NFL calendar for months.

While Andrew Luck is clearly the quarterback to replace the older guard, who will stand next to him and take his place amongst the best in the NFL? Names like Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford come to mind. But we are all waiting for Andy Dalton to make his move.

This season appears to be the one where he turned the corner.

Whether it is the new contract he signed in the offseason or the new offense Hue Jackson has designed, these Bengals are flying high.

The Patriots, however, appear to be in a tailspin.

Can Tom Brady grab lightning in a bottle and turn his team’s fortunes around? It looks like the team of the past two decades is beginning to crumble.

Here are five things to know about this game.

ANOTHER TEST FOR THE BENGALS

Based on a story from cincyjungle.com, this is another test that faces this franchise this season.

The Bengals head to New England for a significant game against the Patriots that will undoubtedly hold major implications later this year -- conference record is a tie-breaker for the division and wild card. However, head-to-head is a tie-breaker for seeding and the difference between a bye week or wild card weekend.

The New England Patriots (who are scheduled to play the Monday Night game against the Chiefs) are an early 2.5-point favorite against the Bengals. Don't worry, Cincinnati is 3-0 against the spread this year... largely because they've won every game they've played.

BURFICT LIKELY OUT

The Pro Bowl linebacker still hasn't received clearance to return to practice after suffering a concussion two weeks ago against the Falcons.

Making matters worse, it was his second concussion in the span of eight days, after Burfict had one in the opener against Baltimore. The Bengals may be willing to play it safe and not play Burfict this week vs. New England.

Wide receiver Marvin Jones also missed practice Thursday after being held out Wednesday with what was called a tweaked ankle. He too is looking unlikely vs. the Pats after missing much of the past two months after breaking his foot in training camp.

It is possible starting guard Kevin Zeitler may not play as well on Sunday.

HIGH PRAISE FOR THE OPPONENT

Patriots coach Bill Belichick does not have much to say, but when he does, people do listen.

This is what he said on cincyjungle.com.

"It's been a while since I've seen a team that's as complete as they are – even going back the past (years), (when) they've been a playoff team," said Belichick. "Watching them through training camp, they're really a good football team. [They're] strong in all areas of the game: offense, defense, special teams. I think they've got an excellent approach to the game as an overall team. They play to it and they do it consistently and they've done it consistently."

DOBSON WILL NOT PLAY

The Patriots seem like a team without an identity. There isn’t the snap or visible fire in the team it usually displays. The receivers are below standard and the news of Aaron Dobson not active for the contest is proof there is turmoil in the franchise.

According to deadspin.com, Dobson is riding the pine because he has run on the wrong side of Josh McDaniels.

Dobson was decent last year as one of the three rookie receivers the Pats drafted or signed to try and give Tom Brady some weapons, tallying 37 catches for 519 yards in 12 games. Yet he's been inactive in Weeks 1, 3, and 4, and the Patriots dressed just three true wideouts Monday night, even though Dobson, who underwent foot surgery in the offseason, hasn't been listed on a single injury report this year (and Bill Belichick lists everyone).

BENGALS WIN

Cincinnati is not the only undefeated team in the AFC for nothing. I picked the Bengals to be the Super Bowl representative for a reason. Playing the best of the best is how you make your move in football. The Bengals are a team on the move.

The Patriots are not. These are teams moving in opposite directions.

In matchups like this, the cream rises to the top. Andy Dalton is rising. Tom Brady is falling.

BENGALS 33 PATRIOTS 27

The Cincinnati Bengals are facing a potential problem in the very crowded backfield. Do they unleash Giovani Bernard as the feature back or do they continue to run a "running-back-by commitee" (RBBC) backfield as they did in 2013?

The RBBC backfield certainly worked well for the Bengals last season as BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Bernard shared the ball-carrying duties as they rolled-up a combined 1,451 yard rushing.

Consider the 2013 final statistics for yardage by running backs reveals LeSean McCoy leading the league with 1,607 yards, averaging 5.1 yards-per-carry. Matt Forte was second with 1,339 total yards, averaging 4.6 y-p-c.

The Bengals’ backfield falls in-between first and second with the combined 1,451 yards.

A more telling stat, though, would be Bernard rushed for 695 yards on 170 attempts, which works out to 4.1 y-p-c.

That level of production is on-par with the likes of Marshawn Lynch (4.2 y-p-c), Eddie Lacy and Frank Gore (both 4.1 y-p-c) and Chris Johnson (3.9 y-p-c). All of these backs ran for more than 1,000 yards last season.

Bernard’s carried the ball 170 last season. Bump that number up to 283 (the average number of touches the top five running backs had in 2013) and Bernard would total 1,160 yards. Bernard would have been ninth in the National Football League in rushing in 2013 with those numbers.

Green-Ellis’ numbers fall off because his yard-per-carry average is only 3.4. Bernard is gaining, on average, a half-a-yard more than Green-Ellis. In the ‘game-of-inches’ that football is, this is a mile.

Green-Ellis is also 29-years-old and this is over-the-hill for a running back in the NFL. The shelf life of a running back is five-to-six years. Green-Ellis is beginning to feel the wear-and-tear of the NFL. When Green-Ellis was rushing for the Patriots, he had, respectively, seasons with 4.4, 4.4, 3.7 and 3.9 y-p-c seasons. There is also a quality drop-off in the offensive line that must be taken into consideration since the Patriots have that really good quarterback under-center, you know, he goes by the name of Tom Brady. The Patriots have always invested well in their offensive line.

The Bengals? Not-so-much.

Green-Ellis’ yards-per-carry drop-off could be attributed to that change, but since Bernard was able to average 4.1 y-p-c behind the same o-line, age is a more likely factor.

There is another startling stat that Bernard brings to the table in his case for breakout player in 2014.

Bernard caught the second-most passes for the Bengals last season with 56 and was third on the team in receiving yards with 514.

This type of production puts Bernard in LaDainaian Tomlinson production level. Tomlinson averaged, I say AVERAGED, 289 carries-a-season, 1,244 yards-per-season rushing, 57 receptions-a-season and 433 yard-per-season receiving. Those number include two lackluster seasons with the New York Jets and two seasons which were shortened by injury.

Take out the two season with the Jets and Tomlinson’s numbers are 320 c-p-s, 1,388 y-p-s, 59 r-p-s and 439 y-p-s. A true duel-threat back if ever there was one.

Give Bernard these averages on carries-per-season and his yardage jumps up to 1,312 yards-per-season and his receiving yards jump up to 542 per-season.

Is it premature to call Bernard a re-incarnated Tomlinson? Yes. Is it feasible for the Bengals to utilize Bernard in this manner? Absolutely.

The Bengals just need to decide if that want this Tomlinson-style work horse to carry the offense, or not.Referencing back to Bernard’s days at North Carolina, he is more than capable of carrying this workload. Bernard averaged 211 carries-per-season and 46 receptions-per-season for 1,241 rushing-yards-per-season and 426 receiving-yards-per-season, respectively.

Giovani Bernard is poised and ready for the work load and, deservedly so, the spotlight.