MIAMI GARDENS — Malik Willis has 101 rushing yards. If it takes some getting used to, seeing a Miami Dolphinsquarterback among the top rushing threats, imagine what it's like for a veteran blocking for him.
Right tackle Austin Jackson is one such player. Told that only four other quarterbacks have rushed for more yards this season than his own QB, Jackson all but recoiled.
“It’s a new stat coming for me,” he joked.
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Point taken, Austin. Nobody ever confused Tua Tagovailoa with Lamar Jackson, but here we are. The Dolphins will play the remainder of the season without their actual top threat out of the backfield, De’Von Achane, leaving things in the hands of Jaylen Wright and Ollie Gordon, at least at running back.
Achane tore his ACL in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and Wright was inactive because of injuries, so Willis took matters into his own hands with nine rushing attempts and a team-leading 56 yards for a 6.2 average.
It’s the kind of production the Dolphins are likely to need moving forward, although coach Jeff Hafley is reluctant to say he plans more designed runs for Willis now that Achane cannot go.
“I think it’s going to go game by game, and I think it will go situationally when we need him to,” Hafley said.
Willis said he’s leaving it up to coaches to determine what’s best for the team.
“I just try to do what they tell me to do,” Willis said. “Do my job.”
Willis’ job got tougher once Achane went down three carries into the game against the Chiefs, in what could have passed for a slightly awkward yet innocuous play. Achane walked off after getting tackled and watched the second half on the sideline with no ice pack on his knee. His mannerisms offered no suggestion that his season was over.
“He’s a heck of a dude to even come back to the sideline and stand there throughout the game after something like that,” Willis said. “I mean that's more tough than I could say a lot of dudes would do, and it just shows how much he cares for the guys that he's playing with on this team. Just praying for him and hope he gets back soon enough, but you know what comes with that.”
Willis said he too thought it was just a “small” injury, “like bumped knees with somebody or something and kind of got like a little stinger in the thigh. Anything.”
Anything but an ACL tear that will require surgery.
Gordon said he also appreciates Achane supporting teammates despite his distress.
"That's huge for him to come back out there and you know show love and support," Gordon said. "That's one of the things I mean by he's a great leader. You know, he didn't have to come back out there. He chose to."
De'Von Achane facing long road back
Now, the Dolphins have to reciprocate as Achane endures a long road back for next season.
“He's had a great attitude,” Hafley said. “I'm sure he's going to have some tough moments, it's challenging. I'm sure there's going to be some really hard days and then there'll be some days where he's his positive, energetic self, but we're going to have to be there for him. Whenever you go through a serious injury, it's not just a physical recovery, it's mentally. We got to make sure that he's doing OK and that's very important to me.”
Even while the Dolphins could use all the rushing yards they can get from Willis, the injury risk obviously is a concern. For now, the only quarterbacks with more rushing yards to keep defenses honest are Jackson (124 yards), Josh Allen (114), Caleb Williams (107) and Deshaun Watson (105). But Willis would be happy to know Wright and Gordon could both be available when the Dolphins visit the Minnesota Vikings.
“They’ve been making plays all offseason and just continuing to get better each day,” Willis said. “And I think that we have coaches that will do what we need to do to put them in the best position to be successful.”
Hal Habib covers the Miami Dolphins for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at HHabib@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Can Malik Willis' legs help Dolphins overcome loss of De'Von Achane?
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