The Phinsider
One of the most frustrating things from Sunday’s 24-24 tie to the Chicago Bears — besides the tie itself — was the Miami Dolphins’ inability to run the football in short-yardage situations. The truth is, this has been an ongoing problem for Mike McDaniel’s offense throughout his entire tenure with Miami, and sadly, it doesn’t appear that much has changed.
The first example of this came in the first quarter when second-year running back Jaylen Wright got stuffed not once, not twice, but three times from inside the two-yard line. It was pitiful. He’d later score from 7 yards out, but the fact still remained — Miami was still #notgood in short-yard situations.
Then, in the second quarter, veteran running back Alexander Mattison got his chance to show what he’s capable of at the goal line.
Again, Miami was stopped, but they would eventually score on a tough one-yard run from Mattison. Unfortunately, he would later leave the game with a serious injury that occurred when he tried to run through a Chicago Bears defender. There has not been an update on Mattison’s status, but a recent report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests he could be out of action for the foreseeable future.
EDIT: 12:40 PM EDT /// Alexander Mattison is out for the season.
According to Schefter, the Dolphins are set to work out free agent running back Jamaal Williams today. Williams last played for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, finishing the year with a pedestrian 164 yards on 48 carries and a touchdown.
Williams, 30, may not have hit the ground running in New Orleans, but neither did Dolphins linebacker Willie Gay Jr. after his first few seasons in Kansas City. Like Gay, Williams cashed in, after having a career-year with the Detroit Lions in 2022 — one of which saw him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark AND lead the league in rushing touchdowns with 17, many of which came as the bruising power back at the goal line. Do you see where I’m going with this?
Naturally, Miami’s offensive line should look better in the regular season when they have their starting five, but some of the woes on Sunday came running behind the left side of Miami’s offensive line. It’s also something that continues to be a problem, so Miami may see Williams as the thunder to Achane’s lightning.
Personally, I liked what I saw from rookie running back Ollie Gordon II late in the game. He has every chance to be the short-yardage back because of his power and inability to go down upon first contact (IMO), and that’s not including what he can do in the passing game as both a pass protector and as a receiver, which we saw with his 39-yard reception.
That said, if Mattison is out, Miami will want a veteran in the room. And I can’t think of a better option on the open market — that can be that short-yardage back that Miami desperately needs — than...
