Jay Ajayi Has Breakout Game For Miami Dolphins

On the sixth game of his second year, talented RB Jay Ajayi arrived for the Miami Dolphins.

I told all that would listen last year that Miami Dolphins stole RB Jay Ajayi in the fifth round. But injuries and the emergence of LaMar Miller held him back in 2015.  Then for the first five games of 2016, head coach Adam Gase held him back.

In the first four games he was active this season, Ajayi only carried the ball 31 times. That’s an average of not even eight carries per game, which won’t do as much as warm a ball-carrier up. And in the process, they started the season 1-4, relying too much on QB Ryan Tannehill.

But in game six, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a good team against the run, Ajayi got going. He showed the vision, patience, power and burst that made many excited about him coming out of Boise State. Knee concerns dropped him down to the fifth round.

Everyone can’t be Adrian Peterson and Todd Gurley, so Ajayi took a little longer to get right. So he was off when he did play last year and Gase didn’t know what he had this year. Therefore, he signed Arian Foster to give him a chance to be the lead back.

But he got injured and Gase gradually started to rely on Ajayi to the tune of 25 carries Sunday. And with that 25 carries, Ajayi rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns. He wore the Steelers defense down then broke a 62-yards thing of beauty for a TD.

Perhaps Gase, a new head coach, has learned Ajayi and his team can run the ball well. So maybe he gives him the ball more so Tannehill doesn’t have to do everything going forward, Then of course, the defense will play better, having more rest.