Why This Change Could Be the Spark the Offense Needed

Distribution of the Miami Dolphins’ running back carries has always been a hot topic under head coach Mike McDaniel.

In most seasons, the team has lined up with one primary back. First, it was Raheem Mostert, but it’s become De’Von Achane in recent seasons. Achane is no doubt the team’s lead back in 2025, and that won’t change.

However, the Dolphins managed to get all three of their backs — Achane, Ollie Gordon II, and Jaylen Wright — involved in the team’s 34-10 win against the Atlanta Falcons.

Achane had 18 carries for 67 yards, Gordon had 10 carries for 46 yards, and Wright posted nine carries for 28 yards after getting zero carries in the first seven weeks of the season.

Using all three backs presents the defense with several challenges.

“I think the biggest upside is the different ball carriers that defenders have to tackle,” McDaniel told reporters Monday. “I think that’s a little underrated. You have a little changeup in just body make-up, size, conviction. It’s just a different target. It’s a different in-hole speed. It’s a different tackle.”

While the Dolphins won’t get 37 carry opportunities in most games, it’s worth exploring McDaniel’s comments and some of the other benefits a more balanced distribution could give Miami.

Throwing Defenses a Changeup

McDaniel talking about using bigger, more physical bodies consistently is an incredibly refreshing thing to hear, although it’s hard not to be skeptical that this will be a short-term thing.

Miami has been in desperate need of a power back for the entire McDaniel era. They’ve had some backs in that style, namely Jeff Wilson Jr., but didn’t leverage him in that way.

Gordon II is 6-2, 225 pounds, and runs incredibly hard. He’s converted 7 of 8 third-down attempts of less than 2 yards this season, including going 2-for-2 against Atlanta.

Using Gordon that way not only forces the defense to think about something different, as McDaniel noted, but also prevents Achane from being miscast. He’s 5-9, 191 pounds, and Miami has asked him to pick up way too many short-yardage plays through the years.

The other changeup this provides Miami is schematic. Leveraging bigger runners like Gordon and Wright allows the Dolphins to get under center and run concepts like inside zone and counter more effectively.

The Dolphins ran their largest number of plays of the season (24) from under center against Atlanta. That included 18 under-center runs, which was also a season-high.

The under-center packages don’t just benefit Gordon and Wright, either. Achane got plenty of looks on those 18 plays, and when he got sound blocking, he capitalized.

We covered the larger scheme implications in our film review this week. Still, for the running backs specifically, it allows Miami to open up the playbook much more than just relying on Achane to do everything.

Don’t Forget About Load Management

While it’s easy to get excited about all of the challenges dealing with multiple backs poses to opposing defenses, perhaps the most critical positive is keeping Achane healthy.

It’s gone a bit underreported, but Achane is racking up some crazy offensive usage numbers. Achane had 281 touches last season and already has 144 this season.

We’re roughly halfway through the season, so that would put Achane in the neighborhood of 290 touches through 17 games. That’s a lot of wear and tear for a smaller back, who has had some injuries in the past.

“That, in combination with having the player with the ball in his hands being as fresh as he can possibly be,” McDaniel said about keeping RBs fresh. “I think you get a lot of bang for your buck when you’re able to distribute the ball among all of your eligibles, specifically your running backs… you’re able to have everyone get a taste and a little momentum.”

Again, the Dolphins will likely never rotate three backs like they did against Atlanta. That was a unique scenario, but there’s no reason they can’t take some of the load off Achane’s shoulders with Gordon (or perhaps Wright in small doses).

That would go against how McDaniel has operated in recent seasons, so we wouldn’t count on it.

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