MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — At this point, it would be a surprise if Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane does not play in Week 11.
The more pressing question: How much will Mike McDaniel unleash Achane if the rookie phenom gets the green light Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders?
Impact of De’Von Achane on Miami Dolphins
Officially, Achane remains on injured reserve, but that seems more like a technicality.
Achane looked fluid and quick during the portion of practice open to reporters Wednesday, going through drills without a brace or compression sleeve.
Given that context — and the fact that McDaniel suggested Monday Achane could have played through the injury suffered late in the team’s Week 5 win over the New York Giants — all signs point to his elevation to the 53-man roster at the end of the week.
Assuming he’s back to the player he was a month ago, Achane’s return opens up a whole new world of possibility for McDaniel. He has ludicrous speed, logging the second and third-fastest plays of any NFL player this season.
That dynamic athleticism has translated into insane production.
MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
Before his injury, Achane had rushed for 460 yards and five touchdowns on just 38 carries, an average of 12.1 yards per carry.
By way of comparison, the other five Dolphins backs to carry the ball this season have collectively averaged 5.2 yards per attempt — which is still pretty good, but not in the same conversation as what Achane has done.
What’s more, the Dolphins in Weeks 1-5 ranked first in rush EPA (.119) and in rush success rate (49.6%).
In the five games without Achane, those numbers have been far more average — 16th in rush EPA (-.095) and ninth in rush success rate (40.9%).
So McDaniel didn’t even try to pretend that his call sheet won’t expand whenever Achane returns to action.
“I view it as non-negotiable that the job of a coach is to coach the player to be their very best and put them in their most advantageous situations and let them play,” McDaniel said.
“It would be dishonest to be like ‘nothing changes.’ They’re all human beings that you spend every day together. You feel like you know them inside-out; you can tell by how they’re walking, their confidence level, where their mind’s at. All of that stuff does come into play. I think each player has different things they bring to the table,” McDaniel continued.
“Yeah, it does affect how the game is called because it will never be any different. It has nothing to do with our plays, which people refer to as my plays. It’s about the players and how we fit around them because it’s their game, their moment, and that’s what we’re all here for, is to watch them do what they do.”
As for usage, expect Achane’s return to come at Salvon Ahmed’s expense. The Dolphins had the most success when Achane and Raheem Mostert split carries, and that is the most likely plan going forward.
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