‘Just preparation.’ Dolphins’ De’Von Achane shines as a feature back despite loss to Bills
A 31-10 drubbing has few positives.
Injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and along the left side of the offensive line — specifically to guard Robert Jones and tackle Terron Armstead, who both suffered shoulder injuries that knocked them out of the game early — also doesn’t bode well.
But after De’Von Achane ran for 96 yards on a career-high 22 carries and caught seven balls for another 69 yards plus a touchdown, it looks like the Dolphins might have found a new workhorse running back.
“Just preparation,” Achane said after Thursday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. “I practice lining up at receiver like I do running the ball. I feel like the two go hand-in-hand.”
Achane benefited greatly from the absence of his backfield mate Raheem Mostert. The second-year running back led the team in not only rushing yards, receptions and receiving yards but also tied Jonnu Smith with a game-high seven targets.
“I thought Devon really showed some really cool professional growth in a short week,” coach Mike McDaniel said Thursday. “He was in the training room nonstop to take advantage of this opportunity. He knew we had already taken a shot at that position and what he was able to do tonight, I though he performed very well. The only reason he was able to have the opportunity was because he really went all in and the process showed his teammates how much he can be counted on because he was literally living in the training room.”
From a rushing standpoint, a lot of credit has to go to the guys up front. Tackle Austin Jackson attributed Achane’s success to “technique, fundamental and details.”
“When all of us blocking are on the same page, we’re a really lethal running front,” Jackson said. “We have a room full of wonderful running backs. When we do our job up front, assignment-wise, we get those guys in open gaps.”
Anyone who tuned into Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars might have saw this coming. Achane notched career highs in targets, receptions and receiving yards. His seven receptions also led the team alongside Tyreek Hill. His final stat line — 100 all-purpose yards and a touchdown — prompted rave reviews from his teammates.
“It tells you a lot right there,” Tagovailoa said Sunday. “He tied Tyreek in receptions today. Very versatile. We put him out there at receiver, we bring him in as a back. We move him around a lot. He does a really good job. That tells you a lot about his IQ as well, knowing the personnels and plays at different positions. It’s all deserving. It’s not a surprise to me.”
“He’s moving to receiver, bro,” Hill quipped Sunday. “Achane is a dawg. He’s one of those guys that can do it all. Play running back, come out the backfield, catch passes like a wideout. He’s a very special talent, man. He’s going to continue to get better and help this offense. You never can have too much speed on the field at once. Having him and his availability is going to be special for this offense.
Arguably the best part: Achane did this all while a bit hobbled with an ankle injury. The Dolphins listed the second-year running back as questionable heading into Sunday night and was quite literally a gametime decision.
“We’ll see how it plays out today,” Coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday morning.
Achane, however, claimed to feel fine after the game.
“It’s good,” Achane said. “I feel like it ain’t even really hurt.”
Expectations have been high for Achane ever since his breakout performance against the Denver Broncos in 2023. The former Texas A&M star ran for 203 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries. He added caught four balls for 30 yards and another two touchdowns. After Achane finished 2023 with more than 800 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns, many believed 2024 would be a huge year for him.
“I love De’Von,” Tagovailoa said during training camp after heavily targeting Achane. “Last year he showed a lot of capabilities of what he can do for us offensively from the backfield, going out, running routes in the slot, all of that. It wasn’t new to me being able to see what he can do, but it was really cool getting him involved. That’s sort of what the defense gave us, were those throws to him today. I trust him and asked him to make some plays for us today.”
If Mostert continues to sit, Achane’s stock will only continue to rise.
