Myles Gaskin still showing what he can do but is he the right RB for now?

Myles Gaskin starting for the Miami Dolphins in week one was a surprise, it was a surprise in week two as well.

Tonight when the Miami Dolphins take the field, no one outside of Miami can be sure if Myles Gaskin will carry the bulk of the load against the Jaguars.

The Dolphins made a trade for Matt Breida during the draft and signed Jordan Howard in free agency but through two games so far in this young 2020 season, it is Myles Gaskin who is getting his number called.

Gaskin has carried the ball 16 times in two games and that isn’t a lot. Hell that is low for a single-game statistic of a featured back. He 86 yards total but is averaging well over 4 yards per carry. Last week he averaged 6.57 against the Bills.

Gaskin is contributing in the passing game as well. He has 10 receptions on 11 targets for 62 yards. While these numbers would typically be atrocious to look at, if we dig deeper we can see that Gaskin isn’t playing that bad.

Against the Patriots top-ranked defense, the Dolphins could hardly move the ball and had to resort to the passing game which also was inept. In week two, the Dolphins faced another top defensive front and again, had to go to the passing game late.

Looking at Matt Breida, one of the Dolphins fastest players, we see similar statistics. Breida has rused 12 times, four less than Gaskin, has 59 yards, and averaging over 4.4 yards per carry. This is where it gets questionable. Breida is a very good back out of the backfield but he has only seen two targets in the passing game and only one reception for two yards.

Moving on to Jordan Howard where 13 carries have resulted in a total of 11 yards and one touchdown. He has no receiving stats. A few of those runs were short-yardage situations but the lack of use is alarming.

The Dolphins offensive line could be to blame. Jesse Davis has not been playing at the level the Dolphins had hoped and Ted Karas is doing enough but isn’t creating big holes. The best Miami has is rookie guard Solomon Kindley who has been really good and left tackle Austin Jackson who has played well.

Looking at the numbers, they suck. At least in terms of quantity of carries for each running back. RB-by-commitee rarely works well for the runners as players get better as the game goes on but right now, none of them are getting into a rhthym.

Gaskin is starting to show that he is capable of carrying a larger load and here is why. Unlike Breida who is really good in the passing game and in certain running situations, and where Howard is good running the ball in tough yardage situations but is not a factor in the passing game, Gaskin can do both.

The fact that Gaskin can stay on the field in passing situations and running situtaions helps be more creative and secretive on offense. Ideally, we might see more of Breida but so far, Gaskin is doing well with the opportunity. Of course, Chan Gailey needs to call better games as well.