The Facts: Bernard will play this season alongside Jeremy Hill and likely won't have near as many touches as the second-year back out of LSU. Potential of the combo, however, has expectations of the best Bengals season running the football since James Brooks and Ickey Woods shuffled to Super Bowl XXIII.

Diehards Line:This time last year, Bernard prepared for a season as primary back carrying the bulk of the load in the running game. Hill brought with him second-round potential, but this still would be Bernard's opportunity to play the part of featured back. But hip, clavicle and rib injuries took their toll even forcing him out of three games. By the time he returned, Hill started his sprint to leading the NFL in rushing the final nine weeks of the season. Still, Bernard thrived catching more passes out of the backfield as the third-down complement to Hill's bruising style in December. The Bengals seemed to have found the ideal one-two punch.