Brian Hill steps up against Lions after Joe Mixon injured

There was a Hill in the Cincinnati backfield making a statement on Sunday, but for the first time this season, it wasn’t Jeremy Hill.

Brian Hill, the running back signed off of the Falcons’ practice squad on November 14th, put together a nice body of work with limited touches against the Lions.

With only five touches, the former Wyoming Cowboy gained over 50 yards of offense in the Bengals’ 26-17 win against Detroit. He ran for over four yards per carry on the ground, and his only reception went for 34 yards.

Hill was an excellent complement back to Giovani Bernard, which makes you wonder if Hill could be an additional part of the offense moving forward. With Hill still under contract after the season, a new head coach might see him as an additional part of the offense.

At the very least, Hill impressing this week and potentially next week would give him a real shot to fight for playing time in training camp next year. Hill is only 22 years old and has an extremely friendly contract, so there’s no reason not to keep Hill around if only for his developmental potential.

Against the Lions, Hill proved he belonged in the NFL, and with Joe Mixon suffering his ankle injury in that game he may not be available against the Ravens. It would open up the opportunity for Hill to have another shot at that number two back role.

I’m certainly looking forward to seeing what he can do against a divisional rival.