CINCINNATI -- Fixing the struggling run game has been one of the priorities this week for the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals rank 31st in the NFL in rushing, averaging 51.5 yards per game. The only team with a worse average is the Vikings, who just lost Adrian Peterson to a knee injury.
But why exactly is the run game struggling? According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Bengals are one of the worst teams in the NFL this season in yards before contact, meaning the running backs are getting hit almost as soon as they get the ball.
Their average of 1.27 yards per rush before contact this season is third worst in the league.
Jeremy Hill is averaging only 1.15 yards before contact. Giovani Bernard is a little better in that regard, averaging 1.60 yards before contact.
Compare those numbers to last season, when Bernard averaged 2.84 yards prior to contact, which ranked sixth among all running backs. Hill's 2.10 yards before contact ranked only 26th out of 44 qualified running backs last season.
Last season's numbers reflected that greater production. The Bengals ranked 13th in rushing at the end of the regular season, averaging 112.8 yards per game.