Job number one in the preseason: Avoid injuries. The rebuilt Cincinnati Bengals backfield did not survive Saturday night's 25-17 preseason loss to the New York Jets.
Second-round pick Jeremy Hill left Saturday's game with a shoulder injury. Reserve Rex Burkhead, meanwhile, left after taking a shot to the knee.
Hill was expected to be the "thunder" to Giovanni Bernard's "lightning" in the Bengals backfield, potentially pushing BenJarvus Green-Ellis off the roster. But Green-Ellis entered Saturday's game before Hill, and this injury could all but guarantee BGE's spot on the team, if it proves serious.
Burkhead has a solid chance to make the team as the No. 4 running back if his injury isn't serious.
The latest "Around the League Podcast" talks quarterback battles and debates the gang's preseason power rankings.