Back in July, I wrote that Bengals RB Rudi Johnson's job could be in jeopardy. This was coming off some of the greatest rushing seasons in Bengal history. A lot of people didn't like me questioning Rudi's job status ... including the Bengals Brigade:

The Bengals will still need Rudi as a workhorse and I believe he can play even better this year. By the way, I noticed a comment on the Sportz Assassin's website from someone who said the only people needing to worry about their job were Chris Perry and the Sportz Assassin.

After pointing out that Rudi's job is indeed in jeopardy, Bengals Brigade pointed out his injury issues. Sure, the injuries have hurt Rudi's overall production and allowed Kenny Watson the opportunity to show what he can do. Still, my original points were valid: workhorse backs like Rudi Johnson wear out quickly which contribute to these injuries. Also, his yards per carry are horrendous.

I pointed out that of the 25 backs that rushed for 900 yards, only Edgerrin James and Jamaal Lewis had worse yards per carry average. This year, it has gotten worse He's averaging just 2.6 yards per carry in 2007 (down from 3.8 in 2006). In his last 60 carries, he's rushed for 99 yards. Ugh.

Even the best workhorse backs wear down. Just ask Priest Holmes, who was Mr. Everything just a few years ago. Seemingly, Shaun Alexander is breaking down and Larry Johnson is looking that way. What happened to Jamal Anderson after his 1998 season which saw him rush 410 times (the record before LJ broke it last year)? He rushed for just 1,200 yards over the next three seasons ... his last seasons. Guys like Gerald Riggs, Terrell Davis, Eddie George, Barry Foster, Jamal Lewis and Christian Okoye saw themselves go from workhorse backs to blown engines quickly.

My main point was the fact that while his power is a nice thing ... it does limit Cincinnati to big plays. His longest rush thus far is a 20 yard gallop in Week 2. Last year, it was just 22 yards. That is simply amazing since defenses have to spread out to cover those excellent Bengals receivers.

True, Watson's longest run this year is just 19 yards ... but he has popped off a 4.5 ypc average this season. In six more rushing attempts, Watson has gained 214 more yards than Rudi. Watson also has 33 receptions this year; Rudi's top receiving season was last year with 23 catches.

Again, I'm not fully attacking Rudi. He's been a very productive power back for the Bengals. However, it seems that Cincinnati showed their hand during the spring when they drafted Kenny Irons with their 2nd round pick. I thought that Kenny Irons, not Watson, would be the one to take Rudi's job (Kenny Irons shredded his knee in Cincy's first preseason game and was deemed lost for the season). Power backs have a short shelf life in the NFL, and while Watson may be cool with being the backup, Rudi may have to get used to that fact as well.

See more at http://sports.aol.com