‘A staple for us.’ For the Dolphins to beat the Colts, the run game has to be effective

Terron Armstead said it plainly after the New England Patriots win.

“That’s just something that needs to be a staple for us moving forward,” Armstead said after the Miami Dolphins ran for more than 190 yards to beat the Patriots 15-10. “We have to be able to establish that run game, no matter the opponent, no matter what day we play on, that has to be a part of our offense.”

As the Dolphins wrapped up a week of practice before they head to the Midwest to take on the Indianapolis Colts, the All-Pro left tackle expounded further.

“It’s a part of what we do in order for us to be as successful as we want to be,” Armstead said Friday. “Like it has to exist, it has to be the foundation of our offense because it opens up everything in the passing game and the other plays and gadget plays that Mike [McDaniel] wants to install, but you don’t really get the defense’s eyes or they don’t really respect a lot of their fakes unless you’re running the ball effectively.”

Armstead couldn’t be more correct: the effectiveness of the run game will ultimately determine the Dolphins’ success going forward. Yes, the duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle played a major role in the Fins’ league-leading offense in 2023 but so did Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane, the anchors behind last year’s sixth-best rushing attack. And with the Colts having the second-worst run defense in the NFL, there’s no better opponent for the Dolphins to get back to basics.

“It’s very important, especially after what we did against the Patriots,” Raheem Mostert said of establishing the run. “Just trying to get back in the rhythm of the run game and it’s showing how important it is still. I’m always going to be a big advocate within the run game, so if we can come out here right out of the jump, put our foot down and establish the line of scrimmage and carry the ball and ease everything up for [Tyler Huntley], it’ll go a long way.”

For the first time since Week 1, the Dolphins will have a healthy stable of running backs now that Achane, who was forced out of the Patriots game, cleared concussion protocol. As teams continue to play a two-high safety look on the Dolphins, a healthy running back room will help up the rest of the offense.

“That means a defense can’t just key in one of us because all of us are healthy now,” Achane said. “So any one of us can go in there and make plays and do what’s best for the team.”

Added Huntley: “That opens up a lot of the pass lanes. The defense has got to stay honest and be able to get some passes downfield.”

As Armstead alluded to, the ability to successfully run the ball bodes well for a team that will likely have to travel to either Kansas City, Buffalo or Baltimore if they make the playoffs.

“You don’t determine where you play,” McDaniel said Friday. “You don’t get to dictate those terms, so you have to be fully tooled to be able to win a game any way necessary that always, always in playoff football – always – equals run game. For sure, and stopping the run. You can probably list on one hand in the last 24 years or whatever number you want to pick of how many teams won the Super Bowl being just pass-game dominant on both sides of the ball.”

One of the main factors of the Dolphins’ success on the ground against the Patriots was the offensive line play. Outside of Liam Eichenberg, who had his worst game of the year and allowed three quarterback pressures, one of which turned into a sack, the entire offensive line received a grade of at least 70, according to Pro Football Focus. For an offensive line that had two new additions in 2024 and still remains without Isaiah Wynn, the unit appears to be finally meshing.

“We’re progressing,” Armstead said. “I think the thing that we need to do more as an offensive line and as far as our consistency is eliminate the negatives, the penalties, the [mental errors]. As long as we can eliminate those or minimize those, our production has been there on film.”

Added McDaniel: “ I think the offensive line, we’ve benefited from the consistency. In that, there is an opportunity to have for the first time since I’ve been here, a 40-run game that was a one-score game the entire time. That’s an opportunity to – in those situations, good football is winning time of possession and when your defense is playing well, being able to control the clock and control the line of scrimmage is everything.”

That consistency has allowed the backs to establish better connectivity, something that’s of the utmost importance for a rushing attack to be impactful.

“You want to see the same things,” Jeff Wilson said Thursday. “You got to understand where they going and they got to understand where you’re trying to get. The two kind of go hand-in-hand. We help set their blocks up and they help get us to where we need to be.”

As the Colts matchup inches closer and closer, it’s impossible to understate how important Sunday will be for the Dolphins’ future. With a win, they get to 3-3 – just in time for the return of Tua Tagovailoa, who could potentially be activated from injured reserve as soon as Monday. A loss will put them at 2-4 and matchups against the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and new look New York Jets loom large.

The Dolphins know this, though. As much as the team focuses on the week-to-week matchup, it’s improbable to expect players to not think about the future, one that will look a whole lot better if the run game gets going just before Tagovailoa’s return.

“We want nothing more than this one,” Armstead said. “It’ll be huge for us moving forward, but not even thinking about moving forward. When we get this win, we’ll be right where we want to be.”