SPORTS

Jeremy Hill on Dalton injury: 'That goes back to me'

Jim Owczarski
jowczarski@enquirer.com
Jeremy Hill breaks a tackle and leaps into the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter of the Bengals' 21-10 victory over the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

Andy Dalton found the end zone, but wound up a little twisted under nearly a ton of weight as Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals teammates piled on top of him on a 4th-and-1 play from the goal line.

The play would force the starting quarterback from the game for precautionary reasons, and running back Jeremy Hill was the least pleased of all after he managed two yards on three carries from the 3-yard line prior to that call.

"That goes back to me," Hill said. "If I get in there obviously we don't even put Andy in that situation. Obviously he's fine but you don't want to put your quarterback in that situation."

The Bengals' starting offensive line ran goal line offense for the first time this preseason against the Bears in their 21-10 preseason victory Saturday night, and it wasn't the smoothest of operations. After moving the ball methodically down the field on their first possession of the game, the drive nearly stalled out in the shadow of the end zone.

On 1st-and-goal from the Bears' 3-yard line, and with rookie offensive lineman Jake Fisher in as an extra blocker, Hill ran off right guard only to be swarmed over by Bears defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Eddie Goldman, who check in at combined 632 pounds.

Hill ran two more times over the right interior only to be denied again by Goldman, Ferguson and Jeremiah Ratliff (303 pounds) and 248-pound linebacker Christian Jones.

"This really was the first chance we've had to get into the goal line (offense) and amazingly they came out and played every goal line front known to man," Bengals right guard Kevin Zeitler said. "So it was great work for us. I'd say we have some work to do. We shouldn't have to take every single play 'til we get in but it's good practice and it can only help us in the future."

Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth agreed, noting that the Bears' 3-4 defense allows for different looks – and size – up front in such tight quarters.

"Anytime you get down in there it's going to be a grind, especially a team like them, a 3-4 team, bigger guys, it's going to be a grind, but we expect to get in there," Whitworth said. "We would want to get in there faster than we did. That's something to go off of. You always gotta have something to build off of and I'm sure that's something we'll fix and get on the tape. It's our first real, true, goal line reps. It's a good opportunity to get a feel. During the season that's something we were real good the last couple years and we want to continue to be."

The Bengals first unit got another crack inside the Bears' five-yard line late in the second quarter after AJ McCarron hit Tyler Eiefert on a 25-yard completion down to the Bears' 3-yard line.

Hill ran off the right side again but stopped at the 1-yard line by Jones and 303-pound defensive lineman Will Sutton. The Bengals went back to Hill again, and this time he bounced it outside for a touchdown.

"I just had to get in there," Hill said. "There wasn't any debating it. Three times – I can't remember the last time that's happened to me. Maybe one doesn't work, but the second time I know I'm going to get in there. I'm glad it happened now rather than in the season where we probably kick a field goal or something like that. I'm glad it happened."

Hill ran it 11 times for 46 yards, including a 26-yard run on the play that preceded the McCarron-to-Eifert connection.

"Man, I think I left some runs out there and just trying to get a rhythm, find a rhythm, it was frustrating early but obviously I got it going on the last drive right before the half so I left with a good taste in my mouth – but there's a lot of stuff I can get fixed," Hill said.