MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins showed improvement in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but they will be without De'Von Achane for the rest of the season after the star running back suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the first quarter.
The knee injury happened on an 11-yard run on Miami's first drive. Achane got up quickly after a tackle, then stood still while flanked by a couple of teammates. He walked to the Miami sideline
under his own power, was checked out in both the team's medical tent and locker room, and eventually returned to the Dolphins' sideline.
“My heart breaks for the guy,” coach Jeff Hafley said Monday. “Since I've gotten to know him, watching him grow and develop, earning the captain role, becoming a leader of the team, becoming such great energy, such a great teammate. I mean, I just love his energy. I love his enthusiasm.”
General manager Jon Eric Sullivan has said that Achane — who agreed earlier this year to a four-year, $64 million extension with $32 million guaranteed — will be a key part of the Dolphins' rebuild. He is seventh on the team’s all-time rushing list despite playing only 47 games and led the NFL with an average of 5.7 yards per carry last season.
Achane was expected have a hefty workload this season for the new-look Dolphins. He was either the ball carrier or the intended receiver on four of Miami’s first five plays Sunday before getting hurt and had 34 carries for 127 yards on the season.
The Dolphins will now turn to backup Jaylen Wright — who was inactive on Sunday because of a stinger — and second-year running back Ollie Gordon, who had 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown. Miami also used speedy receiver Malik Washington at running back on Sunday.
Gordon, who in college won the Doak Walker Award given to the top running back in the country, was praised by Hafley and teammates for taking over ball-carrier duties with no other tailbacks active following Achane's injury.
“I’m super proud of him,” Willis said. “I told him in the game, I was like, ‘Bro, you had to just man the ship alone.’ He had to do this side of the oars, this side of the oars. He got to grab the wheel. He had to flag. I was like, ‘Dang, he had to do it all today.’"
Despite Achane's injury, the Dolphins stuck with their plan of running the ball, keeping it out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' potent offense.
Hafley said that philosophy won't change going forward.
“I want to run the football. That's important, and we have the offensive line to do it," he said. "I have a lot of confidence in those backs, so this isn’t like, ‘We can’t run the ball anymore.' These are NFL players.'”
Hafley said he liked the way Miami's defense responded after giving up some big plays and touchdowns early, which allowed it to keep the game close in the second half unlike in previous weeks. After giving up touchdowns on Kansas City's first two drives, the Dolphins stopped Mahomes & Co. on three straight possessions, including denying running back Kenneth Walker III on fourth down.
The Dolphins are still committing too many penalties in critical moments. An illegal shift negated a touchdown in the third quarter. Rookie safety Michael Taaffe was flagged for an illegal contact that wiped out what would have been the Dolphins' first sack of the season. Chop Robinson and Zach Sieler were flagged for penalties that extended a Chiefs drive that ended in a field goal.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. The rookie second-round draft pick has had a strong start to his NFL career. Rodriguez had a diving interception of Mahomes in the second quarter on Sunday and finished with a team-high three tackles for loss and a pass breakup.
Secondary. Mahomes carved up Miami’s young secondary, completing his first 11 passes until Rodriguez came up with the pick on a deflection off receiver Rashee Rice. The Dolphins have improved their run defense over the past two games, holding the NFL’s leading rusher in Walker under 100 yards for the first time this season, but they’re still giving up explosive plays.
Wright and WR Caleb Douglas (ankle) are day to day.
23 — Number of penalties the Dolphins have committed through three games.
The Dolphins will try to get healthy when they travel to face Minnesota on Sunday. The status of star Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson may be in question after he left in the first quarter of Sunday's win at Tampa Bay with an ankle injury.
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