Richard Skinner

rskinner@nky.com

Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said rookie running back Jeremy Hill may get some carries with the first-team offense in Sunday's preseason game.

The Bengals are also expected to have their projected starting line on the field for most of the first half.

"He's worthy of playing with those guys," Jackson said.

Jackson said he actually thought Hill had taken some snaps with the first team in the first two games, but says even though he hasn't and even if he doesn't on Sunday that he should be able to be in sync with the first team when the regular season begins.

"As long as he's doing what he needs to do I'm fine," Jackson said. "I think that's a little overrated (that he has to get reps with the first team to be in sync) – runners run."

Hill said he would like to get some snaps with the first team.

"I think it definitely would be good," said Hill, who has carried the ball nine times for 52 yards in the first two games. "I've just been working with what opportunities the coaches have been giving me. If it is with the ones it would be great, but I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing."

Hill said he is still adjusting to the things he has to do mentally in order to be successful.

"Mentally it's a huge hurdle compared to college," he said. "College, my last games it got so simplistic for me just knowing everything the offense is supposed to do. There's so many things you have to learn (in the NFL) as far as special teams, personnel and all the different blitz pickups. It's a learning curve, but as far as the physical part it's not a big hurdle, guys are just smarter and they react a lot quicker."

HUNT GETS HIGH RATING: Second-year defensive end Margus Hunt has just five tackles and one quarterback sack in the first two preseason games, but he is tied for the highest performance rating of any 4-3 defensive end, according to the website profootballfocus.com.

Hunt has played 61 snaps and has a plus-7.8 rating overall (plus-4.5 rushing the passer, which is second-best, and plus-3.1 against the run, which ranks third) – with 0.0 being considered average. According to the website he has six quarterback hurries.

Hunt was taken in the second round of last year's draft because of his size (6 feet 8, 290 pounds) and athleticism, but because he wasn't needed much and because it took him some time to learn how to play at the NFL level he played in just 10 games and recorded just four tackles.

With Michael Johnson leaving for Tampa Bay in free agency he will be needed this season and said he feels much more comfortable.

"During the season it got a lot better, but the preseason was kind of a mess," Hunt said. "I was more thinking and making sure I took care of my part, so it really wasn't the fastest I was able to play. Now it's a lot more fine-tuning."

I just have to figure out how to counter what the offense is doing."

Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has talked about wanting Hunt to do more than try to bull rush offensive lineman and to use the length of his arms to get around them, too.

Hunt admits using his hands has been a big challenge.

"It's a lot more hand fighting than in college," said Hunt. "I'm starting to get better at it."

Rookie defensive end Will Clarke, the team's third-round pick, is tied for the worst rating of all 120 4-3 defensive ends at a minus-5.7 in 69 snaps.