Miami Dolphins should model Real Madrid stadium, build museum/trophy room
The Miami Dolphins play the Washington Commanders on Nov. 16 at the home of Real Madrid in a NFL International game.
- Running back De’Von Achane had 225 scrimmage yards in the recent upset over the Buffalo Bills.
- Achane averages 5.5 yards per carry, the best among NFL running backs since 2023.
MADRID — Coach Mike McDaniel didn’t put up a figurative stiff-arm at a suggestion that the Miami Dolphins, midway through the season, have figured out who they are. He didn’t kiss off the last game — outstanding as it was — as an outlier.
He did what De’Von Achane would do.
He took the ball and ran.
“You’re kind of seeing, live-speed, our identity create itself,” McDaniel said.
Watch Dolphins-Commanders in Spain on Fubo
What was once an offense built around receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle had to reinvent itself once Hill was lost for the season with a knee injury. Waddle is still a major piece of the puzzle, obviously, but in the 30-13 upset of the Buffalo Bills last week, Achane had 225 yards from scrimmage, including two long touchdown runs.
Especially significant was that 174 of those yards came on runs — proof that the more the offensive linemen give him a sliver of a lane, the more he deserves to have his name alongside the most dangerous ballcarriers in the NFL.
“It means a lot,” Achane said of earning that respect.
Achane’s shot at an encore comes this weekend as the Dolphins face the Washington Commanders, with the NFL’s 30th-ranked defense, in the first NFL game in Spain.
Achane admitted that during breaks in the Bills game, he glanced at the video boards at Hard Rock Stadium and noticed that Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, an MVP favorite, appeared to be piling up Madden-like stats.
“I’m looking at the board like there’s no way he went crazy like that,” Achane said.
Oh? Taylor rushed for 244 yards and had 286 scrimmage yards in an overtime victory over Atlanta.
Talk about inspiration.
“It’s just friendly competition when you see somebody at your position doing good and had a great game,” Achane said. “You kind of want to do the same.”
That plays right into what McDaniel was saying about identity.
“If you’re having success at it, why don’t you do it more like that?” McDaniel said, acknowledging criticism he has faced. During early season losses, the Dolphins were in catch-up mode, so running wasn’t always an option. By winning two of the past three games, the team may be flipping the script.
“We’ll continue to hope there’s an uptick in that ranking of rushing attempts, because that means that we’re playing winning football in three phases,” McDaniel said.
Offensive tackle Daniel Brunskill lining up as 6th lineman or tight end
Creative tinkering has jump-started the project, including inserting offensive tackle Daniel Brunskill as (take your pick) a sixth offensive lineman or a tight end.
“You try to play to the skillset of your players,” McDaniel said.
There isn’t much a play-caller can say that would excite offensive linemen more. They love dominating while run-blocking.
“This last game, I think that’s what we’ve been waiting on,” left tackle Patrick Paul said.
How Miami Dolphins prepare for Madrid game vs. Washington Commanders
The Miami Dolphins practiced in Madrid for the first time since arriving in Spain and Hal Habib reports on how the players are adjusting.
The numbers make Achane’s skillset clear. He averages 5.5 yards per carry, best among all NFL running backs since he entered the league in 2023.
Over these past three games, Achane has averaged 18 carries per game. At 5-feet-9 and 191 pounds, he’s not exactly the prototype workhorse, raising questions about his ideal workload to balance the injury risk. McDaniel said he’s “always aware of wearing someone down,” but not overly worried in Achane’s case because of his running style.
“He’s had a couple of 20-carry games,” McDaniel said. “And you learn on the fly how his body and how he responds to that. I think one of the things that is a saving grace for ‘Von’ is that he doesn’t take hits on directly very often.”
On more than one occasion against the Bills, there was no hit at all.
“No strategy,” Achane said of his scoring runs of 59 and 35 yards. “Really just trying to get to the end zone as fast as I can, for real, and hoping nobody is chasing me.”
Paul might find that last part humorous.
“His speed is lightning fast,” Paul said. “If you give him any space, he’ll score.”
