Fears about Bernard Scott’s knee injury were confirmed Monday as the Cincinnati Bengals placed the running back on season-ending injured reserve, delivering another blow to the team’s struggling rushing attack.

Scott, who suffered the injury on a first-and-goal carry at the Miami 4 in the first quarter of Sunday’s 17-13 loss, was supposed to be half of the team’s 1-2 punch after the free-agent signing BenJarvus Green-Ellis in the offseason.

But Scott missed all of the preseason and the first two regular season games with a hand injury, then he hurt his ankle in his first game back at Washington. Back on the field Sunday, he had 43 yards on his first four carries before blowing out his knee.

“I feel like Bernard Scott is good enough to be a productive NFL back and the more opportunity he got the better he would be,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “Unfortunately this season didn’t work out for him that way. That’s the way it goes. We have to get the next guy ready, whoever it may be.”

The options include:

— Brian Leonard, a sixth-year third-down specialist who has six carries for 26 yards and three receptions for 32 yards this season.

— Cedric Peerman, a third-year back who has excelled on special teams but owns just 10 career carries.

— Daniel Herron, the rookie sixth-round pick from Ohio State who is currently on the practice squad after gaining 42 yards on a team-high 25 rushes in the preseason.

“Leonard’s been good. He is a steady guy,” offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. “And Cedric, I think with more opportunities, will prove he belongs also. He’s got great vision. He just has had limited opportunities. It will be good for him to get some more opportunities to see if he can handle it and make some big plays for us.”

Big plays have been lacking in the running game. The 29-yard run Scott ripped off on his first touch Sunday was the team’s longest that didn’t come on a fake punt (Peerman picked up 48 on the fake at Jacksonville).

Green-Ellis is averaging 3.3 yards per carry after rushing nine times for 13 yards against the Dolphins. That’s one of the reasons he was the last player to leave Paul Brown Stadium on Monday after putting in extra time in the film room with Lewis.

“Obviously we have to play better as a unit,” said Green-Ellis, who has 91 carries for 300 yards and two touchdowns. “Nobody likes losing, especially me. If I’ve got to be here until midnight, if that’s what it takes, then that’s what it will be.

“That’s the beauty of coming to work every day,” he added. “You get to fix those things.”