Why Dolphins Jay Ajayi is No ‘One-Hit Wonder’

After becoming the first Miami Dolphins running back to rush for over 200 yards in a game since Ricky Williams, Jay Ajayi wanted to avoid becoming a “one-hit wonder.”  He isn’t.

Jay Ajayi’s 204 yards and two touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers could have been argued as being an anomaly. In order to avoid becoming this season’s version of Jonas Gray, Ajayi would need to put up solid numbers this week against one of the leagues top rush defenses: the Buffalo Bills.

No matter. Jay Ajayi and the Miami Dolphins offensive line took the Buffalo Bills defense to task. Ajayi followed up his AFC Player of the Week performance with even better numbers than last week’s: 214 yards and one touchdown. You can check out all of Ajayi’s highlights against the Bills right here.

Aside from the fact that Ajayi’s stellar performance was against one of the league’s best defenses, there are several reasons to believe that Jay is here to stay.

1. The Dolphins are going to feature Jay Ajayi going forward, whether he likes it or not.

   1. The Adam Gase offense demands running backs that are efficient runners in zone blocking schemes. This means downhill running. Ajayi is perfect for this system; he loves to take advantage of running lanes created by zone blocking and he is excellent at cutting back while continuing to maintain forward progress.
   2. The Dolphins other running backs are not as attractive for Gase in this scheme. Arian Foster, who had his best years in a zone blocking scheme with the Houston Texans, cannot stay healthy enough to work as Gase’s featured back; and Damien Williams is good, but he is more of a third down, change of pace runner. Except Ajayi to keep getting between 23-30 carries per game so long as he is healthy enough to carry the load.

2. This formula works for Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins offense.

   1. As Sun-Sentinel beat writer Omar Kelly points out, the Miami Dolphins offense has a new, physical identity. The Dolphins, as Kelly has explained, are treating Ryan Tannehill similarly to how the Denver Broncos used to prepare around former quarterback Jake Plummer. This combination means lots of carries for a featured running back in an effort to reduce the amount of throws that the quarterback makes.
   2. Ryan Tannehill’s top four performances (by QBR) this season all have one similarity: an average completion distance of between 7.5 and 8.9 yards. This means that the Dolphins offense works best when Tannehill is focused on mid-level throws; many of these throws come as the result of play-action and roll-out passing. And, in order for opposing linebackers to surrender the middle of the field, the Dolphins need an effective running game.

3. Because look at the other names of players who have had 200+ yard rushing performances two weeks in a row:

   1. Earl Campbell (1980)
   2. O.J. Simpson (1973 and 1976)
   3. Ricky Williams (2002)
4. Preserving Ajayi’s legs: 
   1. Luckily, the Dolphins haven’t overused Ajayi. Entering the season, Ajayi was left at home from the Dolphins opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Ajayi was used sparingly until the team chose him to be their featured back just a few weeks ago.
   2. Ajayi’s record setting pace has an added benefit: a bye week this week. Ajayi will be able to rest his legs after rushing for over 400 yards in just two games.

5. Because Pro Football Focus thinks that Jay Ajayi is one of the highest graded running backs (95.5) in the NFL:

Who’s up next to face the J-Train? The 1-5 New York Jets; one of the best run defenses in the National Football League (85.5 yards allowed per game).