Offensive Piece Falcons Must Go Full Force Against in Dolphins Matchup

With superstar wideout Tyreek Hill out for the season, the Atlanta Falcons' defense needs to turn their attention to Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane. Make no mistake, the Dolphins sit with a 1-6 record. Their coach, Mike McDaniel, looks to be coaching for his job. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa continues to throw his team under the bus. Meanwhile, Achane is a threat that will command Atlanta's attention.

Maximum Effort

Despite the Dolphins spiraling, Achane remained the standard amid chaos. After losses, the third-year back will stand in, taking questions after games and not flinching.

"As a team, I feel like, as leaders, as captains on this team, we have to make sure that we hold everybody accountable. As men, we signed that contract to be on this team. It doesn't matter—practice, games—we still have to show up and make sure that we're out there giving 100, 110 percent and not just lollygagging."

As a result, the Falcons will line up against a back that does not quit. Although Achane ranks as one of the most minor starting backs in the league (5-foot-9, 190 pounds), he runs with surprising toughness. According to Pro Football Reference, Achane leads the NFL in rushing yards after contact per rush. This means he will not let physicality stop him from gaining positive yards. The Falcons will be without linebacker Divine Deablo. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich mentioned JD Betrand as a replacement.

"So, we're going to replace him with that, with some DBs at times, and we'll replace him with some linebackers at times. We're fortunate that we have a JD Bertrand here who is insanely intelligent and understands our scheme at the highest level, so he's going to get an excellent opportunity to play some more, and there are some other guys, too, that are going to step in and do something with what Divine does.

Betrand is more of a traditional linebacker who doesn't seem to bring the same athletic skill set to the field. Instead, as Ulbrich mentioned, he needs to play smart. As a result, his pursuit angles will not hinge on pure athleticism. Betrand will need to rely on his vision and be cognizant of his timing when tackling Achane in the run game.