Jeff Hafley: Dolphins Must Rally After Losing De’Von Achane

Jeff Hafley: Dolphins Must Rally After Losing De’Von Achane

The Miami Dolphins may have shown signs of progress Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, but head coach Jeff Hafley now faces one of his biggest challenges of the young season: figuring out how to move forward without De’Von Achane.

Hafley spoke with the media Monday following Miami’s loss to Kansas City, and understandably, much of the conversation centered around Achane and what his absence will mean for the Dolphins.

But Hafley also discussed Miami’s improving offensive line, Malik Willis‘ progress, costly penalties, the defense, and several players who stood out on film.

Hafley Gets Emotional Talking About Achane

Hafley’s comments about Achane went well beyond what Miami will lose on the field.

“My heart breaks for the guy,” Hafley said.

Hafley praised Achane’s development into a captain and team leader and spoke about the energy, enthusiasm, and positivity he brought to the Dolphins every day.

The Dolphins coach made it clear that losing Achane is difficult for him personally as well.

“I’m not only going to miss him being around all the time on the field, I’m going to miss him being around because I really love the guy and enjoy him,” Hafley said.

Despite the disappointment, Hafley expressed confidence that Achane will return strong because of the work he expects the running back to put into his recovery.

Dolphins Aren’t Abandoning the Running Game

Losing a player of Achane’s caliber will undoubtedly force Miami to make adjustments.

Hafley acknowledged that the offense will have to “change a little bit,” but he isn’t ready to abandon the identity he wants his team to establish.

The Dolphins still intend to run the football.

“That philosophy remains,” Hafley said. “I want to run the football.”

Hafley pointed to Miami’s offensive line and expressed confidence in the remaining running backs. Ollie Gordon received praise for running hard and physically against Kansas City, while Malik Washington also contributed when called upon.

Rather than immediately naming one player as Achane’s replacement, Hafley indicated Miami could use multiple backs in different roles. Touches could change from week to week depending on the game plan and how players perform.

Jaylen Wright could also factor into the equation, although Hafley described him as day-to-day and said the team would see whether he can practice Wednesday.

Offensive Line Takes a Big Step

One of Hafley’s biggest positives after reviewing the Kansas City game was Miami’s offensive line.

Facing a Chiefs defense featuring Chris Jones, Miami was able to control stretches of the game and keep its offense on the field.

Hafley credited offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s plan but also praised the execution up front.

Aaron Brewer‘s aggressiveness stood out on film, while Kadyn Proctor and Patrick Paul also received praise. Hafley said Jonah Savaiinaea played his best game of the season and Austin Jackson “took a step.”

“The protection was solid,” Hafley said.

Miami’s offensive line will become even more important without Achane. If the Dolphins can keep running the football effectively and protect Willis, the offense may still have a chance to build on what it showed against Kansas City.

Hafley Saw Improvement From Malik Willis

Miami didn’t get the victory, but Hafley believes quarterback Malik Willis took another step forward.

Hafley specifically pointed to Willis’ decision-making, timing, and ability to get the football out quicker.

“He got better,” Hafley said. “I thought he made better decisions than he did and that’s a step forward for him.”

Hafley also wants Miami to continue taking shots downfield, believing the Dolphins will eventually begin connecting on those opportunities.

There is still plenty to clean up.

Willis lost a fumble, and Hafley stressed that Miami must continue emphasizing ball security, particularly because Willis’ ability as a runner puts him in situations where he will take more contact than many quarterbacks.

Costly Penalties Continue to Hurt Miami

One area Hafley clearly wants corrected is penalties.

Several costly flags dramatically affected Sunday’s game, including a penalty that erased what would have been a touchdown and defensive penalties that wiped away potential stops.

Hafley said he addresses those mistakes in front of the entire team while also recognizing that Miami has several young players learning on the job.

The challenge is correcting those mistakes without allowing them to linger during games.

During the game, Hafley’s approach is essentially to move on to the next play. Once the Dolphins get into the film room, however, those mistakes become teaching opportunities.

Hafley noted that three particular calls represented a significant swing in potential points.

Dolphins Wanted to Be Aggressive Against Patrick Mahomes

Hafley also explained why Miami was aggressive on fourth down near midfield.

It wasn’t simply an in-game reaction.

It was part of the plan.

Against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Miami wanted to control possession and keep its offense on the field as much as possible.

“We wanted to be aggressive and keep the ball in our hands,” Hafley said.

The Dolphins believed they had specific plays they could execute successfully in those situations and were willing to take calculated chances as part of their strategy for beating Kansas City.

Jordan Phillips Earns High Praise

Hafley also singled out Jordan Phillips for his performance against Kansas City.

“I thought Jordan was outstanding yesterday,” Hafley said.

Hafley credited Phillips for setting the edge, creating knockback and helping Miami establish the line of scrimmage against a productive Kansas City offense.

He went even further, calling Phillips “one of the most untalked about underrated players on our roster right now.”

Miami Needs to Turn Progress Into Wins

The Dolphins are still searching for their first victory, and losing Achane makes an already difficult situation even more challenging.

But Hafley’s comments Monday reflected a coach who believes there were legitimate signs of improvement against Kansas City.

Willis made better decisions. The offensive line took a step forward. Miami ran the football effectively. The defense settled down after a difficult start. Young players continued gaining experience.

Now comes the difficult part.

Miami must figure out how to build on those positives without one of its best offensive players.

Hafley’s message was clear: the Dolphins aren’t going to completely reinvent themselves because Achane is gone.

Everyone else simply has to do more.