'That was supposed to be my touchdown:' Dolphins' Raheem Mostert on Salvon Ahmed's score vs. Raiders
MIAMI GARDENS — Salvon Ahmed's touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders in Miami's 20-13 victory on Sunday wasn't meant to be his.
At least according to fellow Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert.
After showering the day off, the starter approached his locker and neighbor Mike White.
"That was supposed to be my touchdown. Trust me. That was my shit," Mostert said with a laugh.
"I need my fantasy points."
White, who's prepping to take the reigns of the offense from Tua Tagovailoa against the Jets on Friday, responded in jest.
"No, WE need the fantasy points," White said with a chuckle.
Tagovailoa is the starter, but missing the Dolphins' last two appearances against the Jets with injury, players are ready for whatever may come in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
NBC fantasy football analyst Matthew Berry doubled down: "In a game where everyone is playing Mostert and Achane, Salvon Ahmed scores the TD − sigh."
No "sigh" for Mostert. The ninth-year veteran reassured that he was happy for Ahmed.
After all, it was an 11-yard pitch-and-catch for Ahmed. While it would've added another score to his best season yet, Mostert needed to cross the goal line on the ground to get closer to breaking team records.
One more rushing touchdown will mark 12 on the year for Mostert, and it would tie him for the fourth-most in single-season team history. On Sunday, he had 86 yards on 22 carries, but no scores. He is ready to keep the chains moving and get back to the end zone at MetLife Stadium, where the Dolphins will kick off Week 12 Friday at 3 p.m.
"I had to chunk out some yards here and there, which is a little bit uncharacteristic, but all in all it was fun though," Mostert said.
Can De'Von Achane be healthy enough to make difference vs. the New York Jets?
The real fantasy would be bringing a healthy De'Von Achane on the trip. Especially against the likes of Carl Lawson, John Franklin-Myers, Quinnen Williams, Quinton Jefferson and the Jets defensive line.
A Week 5 knee injury against the Giants continues to linger for Achane, which is why Ahmed got the No. 2 nod against Las Vegas. Ahmed had three catches for 25 yards and three touches for six yards.
Given Achane was out after about three snaps when he reinjured his knee, a quick turnaround to play again on Friday isn't looking good, but it has yet to be out of the question. We'll know more on Monday.
"We kind of held him back, and we’ll see what it looks like tomorrow," Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of Achane. "Someone landed on the same knee. So that’s kind of – we just didn’t want to mess with him. We had some positive feedback from the training staff at the end of the second quarter and after halftime, but I didn’t feel like at that point that would have been fair to him."
Added Mostert, "I don't necessarily know about his status − but, you know, I'm hoping that it's nothing too crazy. I was telling him on the sideline, whether it's an injury or not, you have to treat it as a couple more extra days so that way you can be back fully."
Mostert quickly added that he was not saying the team rushed Achane back into action. "I'm just giving him the vet talk that sometimes when it comes to certain injuries, you just have to relax a little bit," Mostert said. "He's gonna take care of himself. We're gonna take care of him."
More: Dolphins just good enough to beat Raiders, but not good enough to reach championship goals | Schad
Should Ahmed still be the next man up come Friday, he's ready to make the most of the opportunity he's fought for since training camp. Before embarking on his fourth season in Miami, the University of Washington graduate had to beat out former college classmate Myles Gaskin and ward off Chris Brooks, the undrafted rookie who played in six games prior to a move to injured reserve on October 20.
Against the Raiders, Ahmed dressed over an inactive Jeff Wilson, Jr.
“We love everybody in that room and being part of that room is special,” Ahmed said. “You want success for everyone in that room.”
Although he left the game for the medical tent in the second half as a result of a play gone rowdy, he says he'll be ready to play this week if called upon.
“I think we learned a lot about this team — it’s gonna take all of us and I think that’s what we showed today,” Ahmed said. “I’m really excited to be a part of this team, really excited to be part of the win like that.”
More: Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips: Guess Raiders forgot to pack their run game after all
Should he have to carry more of the weight this week, Mostert said he'll be prepared as always.
"Hopefully, we'll have my counterpart partner and Jeff Wilson back − barring any injuries or reports or anything like that," Mostert said. "It's always the next man up."
Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert wanted his 'fantasy points' against Las Vegas Raiders
