The Miami Dolphins have been red hot as of late, winning four of their last five games and hanging on by a thread in the highly competitive AFC playoff picture.
Part of the reason for Miami’s recent success is the transformation of Mike McDaniel’s offense, from a more pass-first style of offense — with a healthy Tyreek Hill at the beginning of the season — to the more run-heavy style we’ve seen in recent weeks.
This has led to running back De’Von Achane taking over the workload, and in doing so, he’s somehow become even a bigger star than many of us expected.
In November, Achane carried the ball 79 times for 495 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught 17 of 22 passes for an additional 135 yards. Today, the NFL honored Achane for his impressive performance over the last four weeks, naming him the AFC’s offensive player of the month.
Achane, 24, was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft (84th overall).
Since joining the Dolphins, he’s started 32 games for Miami, totaling 2,741 yards on the ground and an additional 1,159 yards in the air. In less than three years, Achane already has 33 touchdowns — and continues to have his name cemented alongside Dolphins’ legend Ricky Williams in the team’s record book.
Typing all this, you can see why Achane was a hot commodity at the trade deadline. But if you ask me, Miami should not be looking to part ways with their star running back; instead, they should reward him for his play. Maybe that will happen now with McDaniel in the driver’s seat.
After all, for those who remember, it was the Achane pick that made McDaniel very happy on draft night. In fact, I believe it was former general manager Chris Grier who said afterward that McDaniel had hoped to take Achane a round sooner.
Either way, there is no debate that Miami once again has a star running back — willing and able to carry a heavy workload — in Achane. With each passing week, it becomes more and more apparent that he is the lifeline to Miami’s offense, and without him, I can’t even fathom where this team might be right now.
Which means there really is only one thing left for Miami to do — #PayTheMan.
What are your thoughts on Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month? Do you think the Dolphins should give him an extension this offseason? How do you feel heading into this weekend’s matchup vs. the New York Jets? Let us know in the comments section below!
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