The Miami Dolphins won an uncomfortable game against the New Orleans Saints at Hard Rock Stadium. For the Dolphins to maintain hopes of joining a probable playoff picture, the team has to win all its remaining games and wait to see if that’s enough.
Looking at their schedule, it's certainly not impossible, but it's far from easy. The Dolphins will face teams that, despite struggling this season, know how to put up a fight. Despite the playoff implications, Sunday’s game against the Saints left one picture clear as it could be.
There is a player who has become the reason the Dolphins emerged victorious against the Saints.
Dolphins' De'Von Achane is now the lifeline keeping Tua and McDaniel afloat
Before answering and defending this headline, it would be a horrible move not to mention the incredible game by Minkah Fitzpatrick. His return to South Beach has been a fruitful one, and he showed why with a strip sack and a two-point conversion thanks to an interception on a potential game-tying two-point attempt by the Saints.
However, the real reason the Miami Dolphins are winning these kinds of games is someone else, and his name is De’Von Achane. The former Texas A&M Aggies running back is playing at a superlative level, surpassing all of his stats from last season.
Achane has become a fundamental piece of the offense, and when he’s not on the field or they don’t give him the ball, it’s clear that the team lacks ways to move the chains. Tua was slow in the pocket and inaccurate this Sunday, but the 23-year-old kept the team alive with his rushing prowess.
Against the Saints, he rushed for 134 yards and scored one touchdown. His explosiveness when changing speeds and his ability to find gaps between the defensive trenches make him one of the best, if not the best, running backs of the season.
Even if it's just half a yard, it’s impressive how Achane always finds a way to deliver positive yards when Tua is in trouble.
With an inconsistent WR room that fails to show up in crucial moments, and a QB who makes poor decisions, like the deep throw to Jaylen Waddle that ended in an interception, stepping up to carry the offense and move the chains is not something just anyone can do.
Every Dolphins fan has to admit that Achane has embraced the role of the team’s best player and is doing an outstanding job keeping this franchise's hopes alive.
It’s unbelievable that the Dolphins drafted him in the third round, as he has proven to be a first-round talent.