With Knowshon Moreno out for the season, the ground game for the Miami Dolphins has been relying heavily on Lamar Miller. That has been both good and bad for the team who is currently searching for offensive stability through 10 weeks of the season. After suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury, the Dolphins activated LaMichael James on the roster who could see more action in one game than he has in his entire career.
Miller carried the ball just four times in the loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 10. The running back was it hard by Ndamukong Suh on a two-yard loss play that knocked him out for a majority of the game. Daniel Thomas took his place and have just five carries for 14 yards while Damien Williams had 34 yards. In total, the Dolphins managed just 50 yards on the ground, something that came back to haunt them by the end of the game.
After the game, Miller stressed to the media that he was fine and did not suffer any kind of setback from a previous shoulder injury. The Dolphins play the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night football, a team with a strong defensive front, and while the running back says he is fine signs are showing that he may not be.
As a result, the Dolphins activated James to the roster and are currently working out what his role will be with the team. James was one of the most dangerous running backs in college football while with the Oregon Ducks, but had just 184 yards in two-plus seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. The result was James getting granted a release and signed by Miami. Now, they are looking to use him more than San Francisco ever did.
"I love the way he runs routes. I love the way that he can be decisive and hit the hole fast," offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said, via the Miami Herald. "Without having a chance to see a guy run in preseason for you, a little bit of it is projection from what you see in practice."
The Dolphins are averaging just 127.6 rushing yards per game which will take a big hit after the season-ending injury to Brandon Albert. The Dolphins could use the speed of James who has a knack for finding the edge and taking off. He is also a strong pass catcher out of the backfield which could help quarterback Ryan Tannehill who is struggling to find receivers like Mike Wallace and Jarvis Landry downfield.
