In a season of ups and downs for the Miami Dolphins so far, the constant has been running back De'Von Achane. The Dolphins are coming off back-to-back wins for the first time in 2024. A pair of three-game losing streaks are also on this season's slate so far, but Achane has been the offensive MVP for Miami.
Not only is he leading the team in rushing yards, receptions and total touchdowns, he is among the NFL's elite as a dual-threat running back. Achane is tied for second among running backs in the NFL in receptions with 46, and his 349 receiving yards is fourth at the position. Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints is the standard, and leader in both categories among running backs.
In addition to the raw stats, Achane has been remarkably reliable when targeted, catching 90.2% of passes thrown his way. Putting this in scale, Kamara's catch percentage through 11 weeks is 75.3%, and his career mark is 78.7%.
Achane is also on pace to do something that hasn't been seen in Miami in over three decades. In 1993, rookie running back Terry Kirby led the Dolphins in receptions with 75. If that wasn't special enough, to be Dan Marino's top target entering the league, Kirby set the Miami single-season record for receptions in a season at the position.
Closest to Kirby, and the man who once held the franchise record was Tony Nathan, who caught 72 passes in 1985. Nathan is Miami's all-time leader in running back receptions with 383.
After Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Achane hauled in all four of his targets, and is now on pace to break Kirby's mark. Averaging 4.6 receptions per game in 2024, his utilization as a pass catcher has nearly doubled from 2023 when he averaged 2.5 catches a contest. Should he keep this pace over the Dolphins remaining seven games, he could very well hit around 78-80 catches.
Keeping this up is actually likely now that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is back, healthy, and once again relying on Achane. In games Tagovailoa missed, Achane averaged just three targets a game and 2.3 receptions.
Since the return of Miami's franchise quarterback Week 8, Achane has been targeted 6.3 times a game, reeling in 5.8 catches in this span. Making this potentially even sweeter, the record could be broken within 16 games should Achane and Tagovailoa continue this trajectory together.
That would make this could-be record as legitimate as Achane has proved to be as a lead running back in this league, and one of the best overall in the NFL.
