Dolphins’ Run Game Underperforming Through First Two Games

Dolphins’ Run Game Underperforming Through First Two Games

After signing an extension this offseason that made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid running backs, expectations were that De’Von Achane would kick off his fourth pro season guns blazing. The run game was also expected to be a strength of the Dolphins’ offense this season, but after two games, neither has rung true.

Miami’s rushing attack ranks near the bottom of the league thus far in yards per game (only 88.0), and a big reason is that Achane hasn’t played at the top of his game. He hasn’t looked much like the player who paced the league in rushing yards per carry last season. In fact, he’s averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per attempt through two games in 2026.

Through the Dolphins’ first two games of the season, he has 110 rushing yards on 31 carries. In Week 1 against the Raiders, he was flat-out underutilized, and some of the blame for his lackluster performance should fall on the coaching staff. He finished with only 15 touches after head coach Jeff Hafley joked before the season about giving Achane 40 touches in a single game.

To the Dolphins staff’s credit, his touches rose quite a bit in the Week 2 loss against the San Francisco 49ers (all the way up to 23), but he still mustered just 3.7 yards per carry in that game.

Despite Achane’s up-and-down start to the season, he remains the Dolphins’ undisputed top offensive weapon, and their success moving forward depends on continuing to give him a high volume of touches. However, volume alone won’t fix the run game, and Miami’s offensive line also needs to play better complementary football. They’ve notably struggled to open up opportunities for Achane to show off his speed and make some high-yardage runs.