Giovani Bernard misses Bengals practice; Leon Hall, Andre Smith return

The Bengals got good and bad news Wednesday on the injury front. right tackle Andre Smith, defensive tackle Geno Atkins and cornerback Leon Hall were all back for the first pre-Saints practice.

Atkins left the Week 10 loss to Cleveland with a knee injury in the same knee he suffered an ACL tear in last year, but it turned out to be just a hyperextension.

Hall missed Week 10 with a concussion, but he's off the NFL's concussion protocol now, and it looks like he'll be good to go vs. the Saints this Sunday.

As for running back Giovani Bernard, he didn't practice Wednesday, but he was doing rehab work on the rehabilitation field. He continues to recover from hip and shoulder injuries that caused him to miss the past two games. Expect Jeremy Hill to get the bulk of the touches Sunday, regardless of if Bernard plays or not, though it looks doubtful Gio plays.

Linebacker Vontaze Burfict was not present at practice, which is no surprise, as he's not expected to return this week.