On Sunday, the 0-5 Miami Dolphins will try to win their first game of the season as they take on the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium.
The Dolphins will presumably once again lean heavily on second-year running back Ollie Gordon. Since the Dolphins lost Pro Bowl running back De’Von Achane to a season-ending injury, Gordon has filled in and become Miami’s lead back.
Over the past two games, Gordon has thrived in that role as he’s totaled 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 27 carries. While Miami has lost both of those games, Gordon’s impact has been noticeable, and it’s been a reason why the Dolphins have had their two best rushing performances of the season in the last two games.
Now, ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the division rival New York Jets, Gordon has shared an honest message.
Miami Dolphins Running Back Ollie Gordon Shares Honest Message
Regarding why he’s had more success in his second NFL season, Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon said, “I feel like I practice a lot harder than I did my rookie year. It was so embedded into our brains this year [to] finish runs. It’s an everyday thing. It’s non-negotiable. That’s one of those things where it’s like, I’ve got to do it so we’re going to get it done.”
The Miami Herald’s Omar Kelly wrote: “Asked if he has changed his running style in any way to mirror what he accomplished at Oklahoma State (where he led FBS in rushing yards in his second season), Gordon said he has been “more decisive” and “not overthinking it” when he gets the ball. Only five players with at least 40 carries have averaged more yards per rush than Gordon, who has scampered for 5.0 yards per run on 47 attempts.
Only eight running backs with at least as many carries have averaged more yards after contact than Gordon’s 3.38. In fairness to Gordon, his 2.8 per-carry average last season was skewed somewhat by the fact that many of his runs were short-yardage attempts against eight- or nine-man fronts, some in goal-line situations.”
Ollie Gordon’s League-Wide Ranking
Ahead of Week 7, Gordon was ranked by Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport as the 10th-best running back from the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Davenport wrote: “When the Miami Dolphins used a sixth-round pick on Ollie Gordon II last year, expectations were modest.
Maybe Gordon could become something of a “thunder” complement to De’Von Achane’s “lightning” in the backfield, but no one expected Gordon to be the lead back in Miami’s backfield.
But that was before Achane tore his ACL. Now, it’s Gordon’s backfield for the rest of the season.
To be clear, Miami’s offense has struggled overall. The Dolphins rank 28th in yards per game but ninth in rushing yards per game, and Gordon has contributed to that success.
The Oklahoma State product has averaged 5.0 yards per carry, recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game in Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings and scored a touchdown in three straight games.
If that continues the rest of the season, Gordon is going to have a role in the Dolphins offense in 2027—even with Achane back on the field.”
Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon Sends Strong Message Before Jets Game