Dolphins must get Kenyan Drake involved, if they want to avoid mid-season collapse

The Dolphins are 3-1. That is great.

They defeated the Titans in the longest game in NFL history.

The next week, an early first-half explosion, was just enough to defeat their AFC East foe, the New York Jets.

Creativity and shutdown cornerback, Xavien Howard helped edge off the Raiders, late in the game.

Miami was red hot and on top of the world at 3-0.

And then all of that momentum died as the Dolphins laid an egg in New England. Nothing went right and that’s to be expected vs the AFC juggernaut. But aside from poor game-planning, terrible play-calling and even worse execution, what was one of the biggest factors in Miami’s 38-7 loss?

One answer. Kenyan Drake.

In the last two weeks, Drake carried the football 8 times for 8 yards. 3 of those yards came on just 3 carries in Foxborough, where the Dolphins had a chance to bury the Patriots at the bottom of the division. Yes, Tannehill admitted to checking out of run several times, despite a favorable matchup vs 7 defensive backs, but that is no excuse. Kenyan Drake should see AT LEAST 15-17 carries a game and that’s not including his impact in the passing game.

On this week’s episode of Phinsider Radio, I discuss just how important Kenyan Drake is to the offense. The latest episode can be found below....

Adam Gase saw enough of Kenyan Drake over the last two seasons, to warrant shipping Jay Ajayi to Philadelphia for a fourth-round pick. The question now remains, why have the Dolphins seamlessly abandoned the run game early on? Adam Gase’s teams win nearly every time when they have over 100-yards rusher, so why not try and establish the run game early? Sure, the offensive line is banged up, but look around the league. There are very few offensive lines that are flawless and Miami’s is no different.

If the Dolphins hope to continue their early season success, they must get Kenyan Drake involved exclusively in the offense. Use him on the ground, through the air, and even on special teams if the game dictates. He might arguably be the best player on offense, and he needs to be treated as such.

This week’s game in Cincinnati is a good time to start. Establish the run game early and use the play-action to expose the Bengal’s defense. If the Dolphins want to be a legit playoff contender late in the year, they have to win key divisional match-ups like this.

Dear Adam Gase,

Please remember these three words when game-planning for Cincinnati....

Run, Kenyan, Run