4 reasons Dolphins fans can’t lose hope after lopsided loss to Bills

The national narrative that the Miami Dolphins can't beat good teams was not put to rest on Thursday night - the team managed to continue their embarrassing primetime play. The Bills entered the week having won 11 of the last 12 meetings against Miami and that is now 12 of 13.

Miami simply folds under the pressure of playing Buffalo. Whether it is mental fear or just mental mistakes, the Dolphins can't get out of their own way, and even a banged up and partially dismantled Bills team was too much for Mike McDaniel and the Dolphins speedy offense.

Despite losing, there were players who stepped up, and those players should give Dolphins fans reason to believe that things might change at some point in 2024. While morale for the fanbase is low, here are four reasons to remain optimistic:

De'Von Achane is giving Mike McDaniel reasons to start him over Raheem Mostert

Raheem Mostert is a good running back, but De'Von Achane is bordering on being great. Against the Bills, Achane was one of the few bright spots and there were not many. Achane's play against the Bills continued a trend dating back to last season.

Achane ran for 96 yards on 22 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. It was a big jump over last week against the Jaguars. Achane added seven receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. He was impressive in every aspect of the game, and on Thursday night, Achane was most of the Miami offense.

Jaylen Wright is going to be a good NFL player

The Dolphins rode Achane the entire game, but when it was time to give him a break, they turned to rookie Jaylen Wright. Wright only ran for four yards on five carries. Poor play-calling hurt his opportunity. He had a long run of eight yards, but he ran hard and took his first NFL hits. Miami didn't get him the ball in the passing game, and that should be fixed going forward. Wright had a big run brought back due to a holding penalty too. It was a small sample, but this kid is going to be a good one in the future.

Jonnu Smith finally showed what the Dolphins have been missing

In Week 1, tight end Jonnu Smith didn't have much of an impact, but vs. the Bills, he showed why he should be a featured part of the Dolphins' offense. He ran hard after getting the ball and didn't go down on first contact. He posted six catches for 53 yards. If there was anything disappointing, it was the fact that McDaniel was throwing to Julian Hill near the end zone instead of the much more talented and proven Smith. Hill dropped two potential TD passes.

David Long Jr. continues to give Anthony Weaver a weapon on defense

David Long Jr. had a great game for the Dolphins against Buffalo. He posted 11 total tackles and nine of them were solo. Long was good in 2023, but through two games under Anthony Weaver, Long is starting to shine in his new system. Two of Long's tackles were for losses. He compliments Jordyn Brooks well and so far has outplayed Miami's big linebacker addition. Together they are starting to showcase what they can bring to the defense.