De'Von Achane's Return to Dolphins Shortlived

Dolphins rookie sensation De'Von Achane suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, leaving Miami with two tailbacks to finish out Raiders game

De'Von Achane's return to the Miami Dolphins lineup lasted all of one carry and one reception.

The Miami Dolphins' sensational rookie, who had been sidelined for a month because of a right knee injury he suffered in early October, started Sunday and took the offense’s first carry, gaining a yard. Later in the first quarter, the former Texas A&M standout Miami drafted in the third-round made a 4-yard reception on a pass from Tua Tagovailoa.

He was seen limping slightly to the sideline after the catch.

Achane went inside Hard Rock Stadium tunnel, likely to undergo a more thorough evaluation on what the Dolphins described as a knee injury. He returned to the sidelines without his helmet, which usually indicates that the player won't return to the game.

His absence leaves an already thin tailback unit with Raheem Mostert, who came into the week nursing an ankle and knee injury, and Salvon Ahmed as the only tailbacks available for the final three quarters of Sunday's game against the Raiders because the Dolphins made Jeff Wilson, who has gained 29 yards on seven carries in the three games since he's returned from injured reserve, inactive for the Raiders game.

The Dolphins likely made Wilson inactive because of special teams needs, and injuries at receiver and on the offensive line, which forced Miami to activate Chosen Anderson and Chasen Hines, two practice squad players.

Losing Achane for more games, if not the season, would be a major hit to Miami's top ranked offense because of how dynamic of a playmaker he's been when healthy.

Few rookies have been as consistent as Achane to begin their NFL careers. After a quiet first two weeks, the former Aggie exploded onto the scene, rushing for 203 yards and scoring four touchdowns in a 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos. 

Since then, Achane had rushed for 101 and 151 yards in games against the Buffalo Bills and Giants. His 460 rushing yards rank second in the NFL behind San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffery when he was placed on injured reserve. 

Coming into the game Achane's 12.1 yards per attempt lead the league among qualified rushers with at least 10 carries.