Run of the year? Giovani Bernard makes a case with sidewinding TD romp (GIF)

Please, can Giovani Bernard play more than, um, half the snaps?

The leading candidate for the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year — granted, it's a slow year on that side of the ball — has been a super playmaker for the Cincinnati Bengals this season.

But it can be frustrating to watch his coaches keep him on the sidelines so much. After Thursday's sidewinding touchdown run, however, they might not have any more excuses to do so.

Bernard ran right, was walled off, reversed field 10 yards into his own backfield, went all the way to the far sideline and — with Andy Dalton as a lead blocker — ripped off a 35-yard touchdown that required him to run about three times that distance all told.

Brilliant stuff. We might have paired it up with Lamar Miller's run earlier in the game, except Miller coughed it up once he entered the red zone.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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