Dolphins have made De'Von Achane look average. That's a shame | Habib

MIAMI GARDENS — This isn't a five-alarm fire. In a couple of weeks, it's possible we'll look back and say it was barely even a spark.

So let's call it a concern, one that can't become a trend.

The topic? De'Von Achane , the one playmaker the Miami Dolphins have who makes defensive coordinators perspire.

Achane entered this season as the 26th-best player in the league, according to the annual poll of peers.

Photos of Miami Dolphins-San Francisco 49ers NFL Week 2

Two games in, he has been just another running back, stuck behind 18 players with 110 rushing yards.

How much of that is on Achane? Not much.

Zoom out and you'll find an offensive line and a quarterback that haven't done enough to get proper mileage from the team's reigning MVP. As we've all seen the past few years, Achane burns teams with massive average gains whenever he runs or simply touches the ball.

After two games in 2024, Achane had 265 total yards from scrimmage.

Now look at his average gain per touch. It was 5.8 to start 2024, 6.8 last year … but is down to 4.2 this year.

This isn't the Achane who gashes teams, or at least looks like he's about to, every time. Remember, Achane entered the season with the second-highest rushing average by a running back in NFL history (minimum 500 attempts) at 5.6 yards, behind Marion Motley's 5.7.

De'Von Achane averaging 3.5 yards per rush

This season, Achane's rushing average is 3.5, a number that ought to make his linemen blush.

"We know we've got to be able to run the ball," Achane said. "So I feel like running the ball really is just a mindset."

Achane was held to 36 rushing yards in the opener but had 74 against the 49ers . He said his linemen entered Game 2 with "a chip on their shoulders. And they came out there and I feel like we got better."

Better isn't enough. Likewise, quarterback Malik Willis has found Achane for just 49 receiving yards. Put it together and only two teams are averaging fewer than Miami's 13 points per game. There have been occasions when Miami controlled the ball, but that's not enough.

"We've got to finish some of those drives," Achane said. "That's kind of the key thing this week. When we got in the red zone (against San Francisco ), I feel like we got penalties."

At 5-feet-9 and 195 pounds, Achane never will be confused with Derrick Henry . That puts the onus on the Dolphins to hit the sweet spot with Achane, giving him just enough touches to make a difference without grinding his legs into sawdust. And make no mistake, the onus is squarely on the coaches. Achane isn't about to demand the ball to coach Jeff Hafley.

"I've never been that type," he said. "Me and Haf, we always have a conversation. He always wants me, if I see something, to come up to him and tell him something. But I've never been that type of player to go up to somebody and tell them what to do or say — 'I need the ball more.' I've never been that type of player, so I'm not going to start now."

That's Achane looking out for the team. Now, the team must do more to look out for him. Which would benefit everybody.

Hal Habib covers the Miami Dolphins for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at HHabib@usatodayco.com.

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