De’Von Achane will always be a back that prioritizes speed. However, the Miami Dolphins require a different aspect from their second-year player.
Florida’s Miami Gardens — Until they provide a solid response, the Miami Dolphins in general and explosive running back De’Von Achane in particular will have to deal with issues regarding their ability to play bully ball.
The most memorable aspect of the Dolphins’ 2023 campaign was their offensive collapse in the latter part of the season against the best teams in the league, which included a seven-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round.
Achane just managed nine yards on six carries in that elimination game, making him a complete nonentity.
Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane’s outlook for 2024
After being brutalized in the cold, the Dolphins have dedicated the last seven months to making sure it doesn’t happen again.
For Achane, this entails strengthening his offense, which as a rookie was mostly focused on speed. After working with the team’s strength department during the offseason, he has completely changed his body.
Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville said on Thursday, “I feel like he’s a little bit bigger; I feel like he’s a little stronger.” Perhaps muscular. How would it benefit his game? I’m not sure, but I believe he’s a more physically gifted player than I initially believed. Excellent equilibrium contact was obtained. He moves really quickly.
“So, I’m hoping everything turns out well, and I believe it will. Perhaps the greatest area where that could be useful is in terms of durability.
That would be a really positive step forward. In a spectacular rookie campaign, Achane ran for 800 yards and eight touchdowns on just 103 carries. But if he hadn’t missed six games due to injury, those figures would have been significantly higher.
The Dolphins will employ Achane in a variety of configurations, including as the lone back, in two-back setups, and even split out wide, if he shows to be more durable in Year 2.
Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith stated, “You can really see the growth of his understanding of the offense, you know, where he fits in just overall in the run game.” “Where he’s attempting to influence his aiming points, influence the defense, collaborate with the linemen, and determine how everything fits together.”
Additionally, it’s evident that this is his second year in the passing game. He’s come a long way, and I believe the next several weeks at this camp will be excellent for him to keep improving on all he’s accomplished.
However, the Dolphins’ main area of improvement this season will be between the tackles. The offenses that travel are designed to succeed under all circumstances, not just the best ones.
According to Studesville, “I don’t think physicality is based on weather.” It is predicated on the game. This is a physical game that certain people play in a specific way. Everyone on our team is coached in this manner, but the backs in particular are coached to be physically strong. Therefore, I don’t believe the weather affects it.
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