The New Focal Point of the Dolphins Offense

De'Von Achane has replaced Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle as the go-to players on the Miami Dolphins offense.

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane carries the ball against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9 of the 2024 season. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's not a secret that the Miami Dolphins offense has looked different in 2024, and the biggest eye-opener is that there's a new headliner through eight games.

De'Von Achane has taken over.

It's no longer about making sure to get Tyreek Hill the ball.

Achane has become the featured player in the offense—along with Tua Tagovailoa, obviously—and the stats show that.

Through the first eight games, Achane has led the Dolphins in rushing yards and receptions, putting him on track to become 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 Terry Kirby, who did that in 1995, two years after he also accomplished the feat with 75 catches, a team record for running backs.

With 37 catches so far, Achane is on pace for 78 receptions.

More significantly, he's got 722 yards for scrimmage, easily the highest total on the team. Hill is second with 446 yards on his 34 receptions.

A NATURAL EVOLUTION OF THE DOLPHINS OFFENSE?

Opponents have made a concerted effort not to let Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle consistently beat them over the top, and that's one reason the Dolphins have become an offense centered around the running game and short passing.

That approach has worked well the past two games, with the Dolphins scoring 27 points against both the Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills, though it hasn't been enough to get Miami the victory.

After his terrific rookie season when he set an NFL record by averaging 8 yards per carry, Achane has been the lead back from the start of 2024, overtaking Raheem Mostert for the top spot.

There was no way — no logical way, at least — that Achane could match his ridiculous yards-per-carry average, but he's still running at a solid 4.5 clip. The big-play ability surfaced when he had a 39-yard catch against Jacksonville in the opener and a 47-yard run against Arizona.

The Dolphins would absolutely love to get some big plays from Hill and/or Waddle in the passing game, but it may be that what we've been seeing will be the Dolphins' offense for a few more games, if not the rest of the 2024 season.

In the meantime, they're going to continue riding Achane.