Miami Dolphins RB De’Von Achane Nominated For Weekly Award
Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane was nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week after his 190 total yards from scrimmage against the San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon.
Achane rushed for 120 yards on 17 carries in the 29-17 victory. It was the first time this season a Dolphins running back went over the 100 yard plateau. He also caught six passes for 70 yards. Achane scored on a 50-yard touchdown run in the final quarter to put the game on ice. The run was the longest of the year by Achane.
Achane currently leads all running backs in the NFL with 76 receptions and in total receiving yards with 579.
Achane was very complimentary to his offensive line after the game,
“It was a few runs that I wish I could have back to make a run like that, so I feel like the offense, we did a great job running the ball and the offensive line did a great job as well,” Achane said. “We allowed no sacks, so we had a pretty good game today.”
Achane believes the Dolphins offense, when they run the ball effectively, cannot be stopped.
“We feel like the offense when the ball is in our hands and we’ve got a chance to end the game, I feel like we did a good job with that,” Achane said. “We know who we can be when we’re clicking on all cylinders.”
Veteran offensive tackle Terron Armstead believes if Achane gets the smallest of holes, he will find daylight. Armstead said Achane is capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.
“He’s a special player. A special talent. Catching the ball, running the ball, making people miss in space. He’s so dangerous when he just has the smallest amount of space,” Armstead said. “He gets through crevices that many people can’t and then he’s a home run threat at the same time. Teams have to stay on top of him. If he gets the edge, he’s gone.”
Armstead also said it was gratifying for the offensive line to see Achane score on a big run, knowing they contributed to it with their hard work they put in during the week.
“It feels good when you know you put some work in and you reap the benefits of it,” Armstead said. “You get the rewards of it. Big touchdown. We love to see it.”
With the six catches against the 49ers, Achane set a Dolphins single-season record for receptions for a running back with 76, breaking the mark of 75 set by Terry Kirby in 1993.
Through the first 15 games, Achane leads the team in rushing with 761 yards and is tied for the team lead with his 76 receptions, giving him a shot at becoming the first player to pull off that double since 1987, when Troy Stradford did it as a rookie—it was good enough to earn him NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
The last Dolphins running back to lead the team in receptions was Kirby in 1995, two years after he set the running back reception record.
More significantly, Achane is 15th in the NFL with 1,372 combined yards. He’s also one of only two players in the NFL with at least 500 yards rushing and 500 receiving, along with running back Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints.
