Look, I know I run the risk of everyone pointing out that I'm bandwagoning based on one big game. But hear me out dear readers.
Jay Ajayi may actually be good at football. And if Sunday's 204-yard, 2-touchdown rushing performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers' ninth-ranked run defense is any indication, those who drafted him (and still own him) could be due for a handsome reward.
Digging deeper into the numbers, perhaps the signs for an Ajayi breakout were there all along. Sure, Ajayi's -0.05 Rushing NEP headed into Week 6 was inefficient. But rushing itself is inherently inefficient. In fact, the average running back in 2015 posted a -0.04 Rushing NEP per rush.
What's more telling about Ajayi's abilities is his Rushing Success Rate, which is the percentage of rushes that contribute positively to NEP. Headed into Week 6, Ajayi’s 48.3% Rushing Success Rate ranked third in the NFL among the 46 running backs with at least 30 carries.
That means, so far, Ajayi has been among the league's best in moving the chains consistently. And his performance against the Steelers actually boosted his success rate to 50%, a mark only one running back (Rashad Jennings) with at least 150 carries achieved in 2015.
If Ajayi is able to continue moving the chains the way he has, his efficiency will likely rise. And if it does, it’s hard to believe Adam Gase will hand the keys back to Arian Foster to head the Miami Dolphins' backfield, healthy or not.