The Miami Dolphins came into the 2023 season with a clear blueprint on offense. They were going to spread you out and use every inch of the field, making it very hard to contain them. When you put together a group that has as much speed and athleticism as the Dolphins do, slowing them down is virtually impossible.
Head coach Mike McDaniel has done an excellent job of building a very specific offense built around the speed of their team. Every time you take the field against Miami you are going to be in a track meet, something some defenses aren’t equipped to handle.
That is why it comes as no surprise that the Dolphins had the most explosive offense in the NFL in the 2023 regular season. Keeping Tua Tagovailoa healthy was a big reason why, but the team also made a concerted effort to improve on the ground game.
NFL News & Rumors: De’Von Achane & Miami Dolphins Updates
While Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill get a lot of attention, and rightfully so, Miami got the job done on the ground more consistently in 2023, something that was missing in 2022. Raheem Mostert came out of nowhere for a monster season, but he will be 32 next year.
It is fair to wonder if he will be able to replicate or come anywhere near that same level of success. Luckily for the Dolphins, it shouldn’t hurt them too much, as they have De’Von Achane waiting in the wings to take over the backfield.
Achane, a third-round pick out of Texas A&M in the 2023 NFL Draft, battled some injuries during his rookie season. That was the only thing that was able to slow him down as opponents had zero success at stopping him.
In 11 games, he gained 800 yards with eight touchdowns on the ground on only 103 carries. Viewed as a pass-catching specialist by some coming out of college, he added 27 receptions for 197 yards and three more scores.
NFL News & Rumors: De’Von Achane & Miami Dolphins Updates
In the process, Achane made some NFL history. According to David J. Guautieri on X, formerly Twitter, he is the first running back to average 7.5+ yards per carry on 100+ attempts in league history. He blew away the competition as no other running back has even averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 100+ totes; Achane averaged a video game-esque 7.8.
The Dolphins are loaded with explosive athletes, but there may not be anyone more explosive than Achane. When he hit the hole he was gone as defenders were routinely left in the dust attempting to catch up to him.
If he can stay healthy in 2024, he should be in for a big season. McDaniel is excellent at scheming his players into advantageous positions and Achane should have plenty to make the most of in 2024 and beyond.
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