Jeff Wilson Impressing in Return to Dolphins Offense

Dolphins tailback unit lost De'Von Achane to a knee injury but will be boosted by the return of Jeff Wilson, who entered the season viewed as a starter

They say absence makes the heart grow founder, and that mantra seemingly applies to football as well.

Jeff Wilson has spent the past five weeks watching the Miami Dolphins produce the NFL's best offense, producing the most forceful rushing attack, and doing so without the team's No. 2 back in the lineup.

Now that Wilson, a sixth-year veteran who gained 392 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns on 84 carries with Miami after he was acquired in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers last season, has been cleared to practice with the team, the veteran tailback anxiously awaiting his opportunity to get in on the fun.

Don't overlook Wilson's contributions

Last year Wilson gained 860 rushing yards and scored five touchdowns on his 176 carries, and he also caught 22 passes for 185 yards and one score in the 525 offensive snaps he handled last season.

The Dolphins have three weeks to activate Wilson off injured reserve, and it seems as if that will happen sooner than later because of the knee injury De'Von Achane suffered in last Sunday's 31-16 win over the New York Giants and how Wilson looked this week in practice.

When offensive coordinator Frank Smith was asked if Wilson was ready to play in an NFL game after sitting out all of the exhibition season, and then having a five-game layoff because of a ribs and broken finger, Smith gave an emphatic: "Yes."

Even though Achane, a 2023 third-round pick, has used the past three games to become the NFL's second-leading rusher, trailing only Christian McCaffrey, the Dolphins are confident Miami's rushing attack will continue to churn out productive performances because of the caliber of talent in the tailback room.

Miami's backfield has depth

Players and coaches are quick to remind the naysayers that Achane only rose up the depth chart because of injuries that players like Wilson and Salvon Ahmed, who spent three weeks nursing groin injury, suffered in August and September.

Raheem Mostert, who has gained 314 yards on 58 carries and is tied for the NFL lead with eight touchdowns in 2023, will likely handle a larger workload. 

So far Mostert is averaging 38.4 offensive snaps a game. Last year the nine-year veteran averaged 34.5 snaps a game.

Miami likely will lean on Wilson and Ahmed for the month Achane is sidelined, and it's possibly the Dolphins could give fellow rookie tailback Chris Brooks a couple more carries, expanding his role.

"There’ll be more opportunities for the other guys," coach Mike McDaniel said. "We’re in a fortunate situation in that regard, that I think we have multiple players at the running back position that can start in this league and can do very well within their job parameters.”

Keeping standards high

The goal is to continue Miami's eye-opening rushing performance, which has produced 185.8 rushing yards per game and 6.9 yards per attempt.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who Dolphins face on the road next week, are the NFL's second-best rushing team, averaging 164 rushing yards per game and 4.58 per attempt

The Dolphins are 74.1 rushing yards ahead of the NFL average after five games.

"That group has done an outstanding job of all rising to the occasion together. I think ultimately, as the season goes, if we have one down, the next guy’s up," Smith said. "We couldn’t be happier just overall with the way the runners go in and just how they’re able to really work with each other, play off each other and accomplish the same thing together.”