How did Dolphins RB De’Von Achane (ribs) look at Thursday’s practice?
There’s one question on everyone’s mind.
Will De’Von Achane start Monday night’s game?
The Miami Dolphins running back sustained a rib injury in the second quarter of the team’s 34-10 win over the New York Jets. Achane never returned to the game — coach Mike McDaniel later said he would have been available “in an emergency” — yet all eyes will be on how the former Texas A&M standout fares during this week’s practice, as well as potential alternatives if he’s unable to play.
“He’ll be participating today, he’ll have a red jersey on to avoid some contact,” coach Mike McDaniel said before Thursday’s practice. “He’ll go through some of his assignments, and he’ll participate, but it’ll be limited. It will just be a gradual increase in activity and physicality.”
As McDaniel mentioned, Achane did in fact don the red jersey as well as a flak jacket during Thursday’s practice. He caught a short pass as well as took a handoff from quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. In the position-specific part of practice, he cut around pads but sat out when the running backs did blocking drills.
“He looked good,” Tagovailoa said Thursday. The trainers “are doing what they need to be cautious of him as he’s running the ball, catching the ball, all of that.”
If Achane suits up Monday, then the question becomes what will he do to help ease the injury. Will he use the same flak jacket? How will that affect his speed? Will the Dolphins continue to rely on him as bell cow back despite the ailment?
In the event that he doesn’t play, attention will then switch to Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon II. Wright, specifically, stepped up in Achane’s absence on Sunday, notching career highs in carries (24), yards (107) as well as scoring his first touchdown. The second-year back far exceeded the production of Gordon, who amassed five attempts for 17 yards and a touchdown.
“My best decisions are the ones that are made with my attention and my eyes, and Jaylen Wright — it was nothing to do with Ollie — he’s been on a heater in practice for the past couple of weeks,” McDaniel said Thursday. “I’ve had in-game moments where some of my most trusted players that aren’t him have been motivated enough to tell me, ‘Hey, maybe we can get Jaylen Wright the ball,’ based on their recognition of where he’s at and how he’s been prepared.”
Although Gordon had initially overtaken Wright as backup running back behind Achane after the latter injured his knee late in training camp and logged a few healthy scratches on game day, it’s unclear whether the pecking order has changed. McDaniel, historically, likes to ride the hot hand when it comes to running backs, and Wright just so happened to be that guy Sunday.
“You learn everything about a person, particularly when things don’t fall their way,” McDaniel said. “I don’t think he expected to have the small amount of opps up until that game that he’s had this season, however, he didn’t let that affect his controllables. He’s been looking like he’s really hard to tackle in practice, so I gave him some opps. I didn’t favor to that extreme going into the game, it was more about getting opportunities quickly and he took full advantage of them. I really liked his style of running and he looked like he was very difficult to tackle, so I kept giving him the ball.”
Added McDaniel: “If Ollie is on a heater today and tomorrow, that affects how I approach the game. I think we’re just afforded some guys that we really believe in, and when they show us that they’re fully confident and ready to use all of their skill sets for that game against their opponent, we confidently give them the ball and let them go do what they do.”
Achane’s status will continue to be monitored closely as the Dolphins prepare to travel to Pittsburgh to face a Steelers team that ranks 21st against the run.
