EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – De'Von Achane was running all over the New York Jets and headed for another huge game for Miami.
Then a rib injury knocked him out early in the Dolphins' 34-10 victory Sunday, but coach Mike McDaniel said the star running back could've returned if it was necessary.
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Achane was slow to walk off the field after a 29-yard run late in the second quarter. He went into the injury tent on the sideline while Jaylen Wright replaced him as the Dolphins’ primary ballcarrier. The team announced Achane was questionable to return — but he never came back in.
“We got it looked at,” McDaniel said. "He was hurting. He was available to come back into the game in an emergency. You worry about breaks. That takes time. Didn’t see that.
“He was available to come back into the game. I chose not to put him in there.”
Achane ran for 92 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and had a 13-yard catch. He rushed for at least 120 yards in each of his previous three games and was well on his way to doing so again before he was hurt.
The Dolphins will evaluate Achane throughout the week to see if he'll be able to play against the Steelers in Pittsburgh next Monday night.
“One would hope,” McDaniel said. “I’ll push all the burden onto the trainers and push him as much as he can. The good news is, as you guys saw, we have other players to hand the ball off to as well. I promise you, he’ll be in there if he’s ready.”
Wright rushed for a career-high 107 yards and his first NFL score and rookie Ollie Gordon II also ran for a TD for Miami, which had 239 yards rushing overall while winning its fourth straight game.
Miami also lost linebacker Caleb Johnson (shoulder) in the first quarter and safety Elijah Campbell was ruled out in the third with knee and ankle injuries.
Jets rookie quarterback Brady Cook made his regular-season NFL debut when he replaced the injured Tyrod Taylor with 3:39 left in the first quarter.
Taylor left with what the Jets said was a groin injury. Coach Aaron Glenn didn't have an immediate update after the game.
“The quarterback situation, we’ll look at that going into next week,” Glenn said. “But yeah, it’s always tough when your starter goes down, it doesn’t matter who it is.”
Taylor was intercepted on a deflected pass on his last throw, which Miami took advantage of by later scoring a touchdown to take a 21-0 lead.
Cook, signed in May as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri, handed off to Breece Hall on his first two snaps and then threw incomplete to Adonai Mitchell before the Jets punted. Cook's first completion came two possessions later, a 6-yard pass to fellow rookie Mason Taylor.
With 30 seconds left in the first half, Cook also tossed his first interception when his throw for John Metchie III was picked off by Rasul Douglas deep in Dolphins territory.
Cook, who finished 14 of 30 for 163 yards and two interceptions, served as the backup to Tyrod Taylor because Justin Fields was ruled out Friday with knee soreness. There's a chance Cook could start for the Jets next week at Jacksonville.
“It was definitely a challenge, but a great challenge,” Cook said. “One that comes with the job of being the backup quarterback. I felt ready to play today and obviously I didn’t do enough to get a win.”
Cook, who threw for 9,008 yards and 49 touchdowns with 15 interceptions in five seasons at Missouri, was signed to the active roster Saturday. He had been promoted from the practice squad for two previous games this season but hadn’t played.
Cook was 25 of 38 for 235 yards and a touchdown with one interception in three preseason games.
Glenn said Mason Taylor has a stinger and fellow tight end Stone Smartt has a possible concussion. Rookie defensive end Tyler Baron was ruled out with a knee injury. Linebacker Kiko Mauigoa cleared the concussion protocol, but didn't return because of a shoulder injury.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL