Raheem Mostert makes the most of limited role on Monday Night Football

Six players ran the ball against the Rams but Raheem Mostert wasn’t one of them.

The Miami Dolphins struggled to run the ball Monday — it was the first time since Week 1 that they rushed for fewer than 70 yards. Six players carried the ball and averaged three yards per carry on 22 attempts against the Los Angeles Rams, but Raheem Mostert wasn’t one of them.

De’Von Achane had a team-high 12 carries while Jaylen Wright ran the ball on five of his nine snaps. Mostert, who entered Monday’s game with at least six carries in each of his five appearances this season, was active but didn’t see a rushing attempt for the first time since 2019.

Mostert saw a diminished role, playing a season-low eight snaps, but coach Mike McDaniel didn’t imply that he fell out of favor after fumbling in two of the last three games.

“We have a very talented backfield and we’re manipulating game plans week-in and week-out for a multitude of reasons,” McDaniel said on Monday. “I feel very confident with entrusting Raheem with our possession, with the football.”

While Mostert didn’t carry the ball, he came up clutch as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s outlet on a third-and-19 early in the fourth quarter. He finished the day with two receptions for 34 yards, including the 25-yard catch to move the chains in a one-possession game.

Mostert and McDaniel’s relationship dates back to their time together with the San Francisco 49ers — and McDaniel rarely says anything negative — but it’s hard to imagine that two costly fumbles in recent weeks didn’t impact his workload against the Rams.

All that said, McDaniel made it clear that the 2023 rushing touchdown leader will remain a key part of the offense as Miami fights to keep its playoff hopes alive.

“He’ll have plenty of plays that he’ll make the rest of the season,” McDaniel said. “The particular usage this past game was unique to the game plan, and that’s kind of the case when you have one football and multiple talented running backs that all contribute in various ways. He’s still a leader in that room and we’ll be counting on him all season for us to get where we want to go.”