Mike McDaniel says RB De'Von Achane on track to return to Dolphins following bye
MIAMI GARDENS — Coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that rookie running back De’Von Achane is on schedule to return from injured reserve following the Dolphins’ bye week, another sign that the team’s physical health is on the upswing.
McDaniel also put the team’s mental health in the same category despite Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in what was another chance for the Dolphins to prove themselves against top-flight competition — and another chance that went awry.
First, Achane.
“No setbacks with De’Von,” McDaniel said. “So we’ll see. So far, so good. There is no reason for me to think that it will take longer, but you know how those things are.”
The hope, therefore, is that Achane can play in the Dolphins’ next game, Nov. 19 against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders.
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Achane was a third-round draft pick who has exceeded expectations with 460 yards and a 12.1 average despite playing only four games. He has been out since rushing for 151 yards against the New York Giants on Oct. 8, which marked his third consecutive 100-yard performance.
The Dolphins had the league’s top-rated rushing attack with Achane. Although they rushed for 117 yards against Kansas City, the ground game suffered to the point where Miami gained only 45 yards against Philadelphia and 78 against New England. Injuries to the offensive line also were a factor.
Bye helping Dolphins get stars back from injury
The bye week will allow returning players to get that much healthier while shaking off rust. Those players include cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who played his first game opposite Xavien Howard on Sunday; left tackle Terron Armstead, who returned from a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve; center Connor Williams; and running back Jeff Wilson.
The Dolphins have managed a 6-3 start and lead the AFC East despite the absences. They hold the No. 4 spot in the playoff seedings and would host the Pittsburgh Steelers at this early stage.
But in the three stiffest tests to date (at Buffalo, at Philadelphia, vs. Kansas City in Germany), the Dolphins are 0-3 and were outscored 100-51.
Sunday’s game went down to the wire. With the Dolphins trailing 21-14, they took possession on their 25-yard line with 2:28 left. Raheem Mostert, kept in check for much of the game, had runs of 25 and 19 yards to quickly move the Dolphins to the Chiefs’ 31, but that’s as far as it went. Tua Tagovailoa threw three incompletions before mishandling a snap from Williams on fourth down, sealing the defeat.
Mike McDaniel: Narrative about top-tier opponents isn't unfair
It was another example of the Dolphins coming up just short on the big stage.
“Here's the thing that I find interesting that I think we can all agree upon that for one, the narratives of how we lose games or the types of teams we lose to, there's one way that that will change,” McDaniel said. “I don't think that's unfair. And we're very comfortable with that and I think all the players understand that, too.”
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McDaniel said the feeling both within and from the outside “is not that we’re not good enough.”
He added, “What the feeling of the locker room is, is that when we lose, we beat ourselves.”
Which, of course, isn’t to say McDaniel finds that acceptable.
“You have to be your best when best is required,” he said.
He said it has come down to this: “Good teams have made us pay when we allowed ourselves to be vulnerable.”
While those on the outside are waiting for a statement win, McDaniel doesn’t see it as a mental hurdle for the players.
“Our team doesn't want to be given anything,” he said. “We'll continue to work. We'll let people talk about the things that move the needle for the business of football. But if we're doing our jobs and worried about the right stuff, we'll change the narrative.”
McDaniel called Sunday’s defeat “a heartbreaker,” with the game tape difficult to watch. Still, he found positives in the Dolphins nearly pulling out a victory against the defending Super Bowl champions. The Dolphins shut out the Chiefs in the second half while allowing Patrick Mahomes & Co. only 67 yards.
“I feel like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” McDaniel said. “I also know that we’re a better team than when we left for Germany. I know that. How are we? Because of how much we put into going after our assignments during the work week. It was probably where we had 100 ways to just go ahead and have excuses about tired or travel or stuff, but we embraced it. We became tighter.
“Then the proof was in the pudding, because guys invested more, really individually. It might be the most that they’ve ever invested in the game of football. And you sat there at 21-0 at halftime, and you’re like, ‘This is terrible.’ Well, it’s also a great moment of evaluation for who you’re working with. You really find out about your teammates when it’s like, ‘What is this?’ No one blinked. Everyone went after it.”
Dolphins reporter Hal Habib can be reached at hhabib@pbpost.com. Follow him on social media @gunnerhal.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins' Mike McDaniel says RB De'Von Achane on track to return
