Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Two on the attack
Dolphins’ running backs must step up game.
Miami Dolphins tailbacks Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake sat together by their lockers minutes after last Thursday’s embarrassing 40-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens plotting, planning.
Both admitted they needed something to change.
But they weren’t talking about their roles in the Dolphins offense. They needed new looks, so they individually decided to cut off their dreadlocks last week.
“I was just getting tired of it,” Drake said. “I felt childish. Let me maybe get more of a professional look, and I kind of like it.
“The next day he went and got his hair cut,” Drake said, referring to Williams. “We’ve gotten a lot of good reviews from it.”
The Dolphins hope the same can be said about Miami’s new tailback duo, which will share the workload now that Jay Ajayi, who led the team with 465 rushing yards on 138 carries, has been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2018 fourth-round pick.
The Dolphins haven’t settled on which tailback will start
Sunday night’s game against the Oakland Raiders, but Miami’s coaches have carved out roles for Williams and Drake.
Williams, who scored six touchdowns last season, will continue in his role as Miami’s third-down back because of his pass-protection skills, and he’ll be the Dolphins’ goal-line back.
Drake will be utilized as the lead back in Miami’s base packages.
While neither tailback has produced a body of work comparable to Ajayi, who became a Pro Bowl pick last season courtesy of his 1,272 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, Miami’s coaches say the duo’s ability as pass catchers will help diversify the Dolphins’ stagnant offense.
“We haven’t played very well this season, and we have to try some new stuff. We have to try some different things, and hopefully it will give us a little bit of a lift, a jolt,” offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said, referring to a rushing offense that averages 76.4 yards per game, which is second worst in the NFL.
The Dolphins clearly plan to utilize more of Drake’s speed, which could allow Miami’s outside zone running plays to come alive. Christensen warned that Drake’s “speed is to be feared.”
“I do think he’s a little bit of a different style than Jay was. Just his speed, his ability to take the ball around the corner, his ability to bounce it or go back door and you’re not quite as sure where he’s going to run,” Christensen said. “I think that gives you a little extra threat.”
The biggest concern about Drake is that the last time he was a featured back was in high school. He spent his entire career at Alabama as a backup.
However, the talent has always been there, which explains why Miami selected him in the thirdround of the 2016 NFL draft, making him the third tail- back taken in that draft class.
Williams quickly made an impression with the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie from Oklahoma, unseating Mike Gillislee for his roster spot, and becoming the Dolphins third-down back as a rookie.
He’s a sensational pass protector and solid receiver, which explains why Patriots coach Bill Belichick brought him in for a visit as a restricted free agent this offseason.
The biggest question surrounding Williams is whether he can be an efficient runner. He’s averaging a disappointing 3.3 yards per carry on the 99 rushing attempts he’s had the past four seasons, but plenty of that has to do with the short-yardage situations he’s usually put in.
His supporters, which are led by Dolphins coach Adam Gase, claim that if he were put in more favorable situations to run the football he would produce a better average.
“It’s rare to see one guy bring him down. We’ve seen it time and time again,” Gase said. “He’s a relentless runner.”
It appears Williams will have that opportunity to prove he can be a good runner, and Drake gets his shot to prove he can lead an offense’s rushing attack now that Ajayi is gone.
The Dolphins are hoping their new-look backfield will give the offense a fresh new feel, but only time and production will tell.