Giovani Bernard expected to miss Bengals vs. Saints

The Cincinnati Bengals will likely be without running back Giovani Bernard when they take on the New Orleans Saints in Week 11, leaving rookie Jeremy Hill in line to get his third straight NFL start.

According to NFL media reporter Albert Breer, Bernard is expected to miss Sunday's game, which would be his third straight wile dealing with hip and shoulder injuries.

The Bengals are expecting to be without RB Gio Bernard on Sunday at Superdome, which means plenty more Jeremy Hill.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 12, 2014

Bernard remained sidelined during Wednesday's practice with the hip injury that kept him out of last Thursday night's loss against the Cleveland Browns.

With Bernard out, Hill ran over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 with 154 yards on 24 carries before getting just 55 yards on 12 touches against the Browns. That was mainly due to the team being down double digits for much of the second half and going with a pass-heavy attack.

Bernard broke out during his rookie season in 2013, leading many to believe he was an ascending star set to emerge in 2014. He notched 170 carries for 695 yards and five touchdowns to go with 56 receptions for 514 yards and three more scores as a rookie. That gave Bernard had 1,209 yards from scrimmage and was the team's second-leading rusher and third-leading receiver.

This season, he's rushed 109 times for 446 yards and five touchdowns to go with 22 catches for 179 yards. Needless to say, it's becoming a season to forget for Bernard if he can't get back on the field soon.