Giovani Bernard should be fine

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard (25) before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Cincinnati Bengals rookie running back Giovani Bernard was a bright spot for the Bengals in their disappointing 22-20 overtime loss to the Miami Dolphins last night, but Bernard sadly went down with a rib injury in the fourth quarter. The good news is that the NFL Network’s Mike Silver reports that Giovani Bernard “should be ok” going forward, and it seems like Bernard merely suffered a contusion.

It’s great news for Bengals fans, who must be feeling awful right now. Not only did they lose a game in one of the worst possible ways, but arguably the team’s best player tore his ACL and is out for this season. Geno Atkins is easily the best defensive tackle in the NFL, and his ability to disrupt the passing game and clog up holes in the running game can’t be replicated. Atkins is irreplaceable in every sense of the word, but at least the Bengals won’t have to worry about replacing Bernard.

With a key division game coming up next week against the Baltimore Ravens, I would be surprised if Bernard was out after a long week of rest. He was absolutely tearing up the Dolphins before the injury with nine carries for a whopping 79 yards and two touchdowns. The extremely elusive UNC product also caught all four passes thrown at him for 25 yards, and he has already earned a well-deserved reputation for being one of the best all-purpose backs in the NFL.

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