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DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami running back Jay Ajayi ran his way into the history books Sunday with his 214-yard game in the Dolphins' 28-25 victory over Buffalo. Ajayi has now rushed for more than 200 yards in back-to-back games joining O.J. Simpson (1973, 1976), Earl Campbell (1980), and Ricky Williams (2002) as the only men to accomplish that feat.
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Ajayi, a fifth-round pick in 2015 from Boise State who battled a rib injury last season and a knee injury this season, offered to take his offensive line out to dinner after last week's game but they declined.
"I just wanted to show some appreciation to those guys," Ajayi said. "They kind of just told me, 'It's not a one hit thing,' and 'Let's do it again.' And lo and behold, we did it again.
"Really, we're kind of just saving (the dinner) I guess for after the season when we can look back on what we've accomplished this year and really be able to hang our hat on something. Right now, it's about just pushing forward and keep building."
Miami (3-4) seems to have transformed its team into a physical group that relies on an aggressive running game and a strong front four.
And it all starts with Ajayi, a 23-year-old who took rose to prominence on Oct. 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers and hasn't looked back.
Ajayi's emergence, coupled with Week 1 starting running back Arian Foster's injury, may have factored into Foster's decision to announce his retirement in his eighth season on Monday.
Ajayi, who has 535 yards rushing on 85 carries (6.3 yards per carry), has even convinced his friends and family he's a good fantasy play. Many opted not to play him prior to his 204-yard effort against Pittsburgh two games ago.
"They didn't make that same mistake," he said with a smile. "They trusted me and I paid off for them."
The Dolphins' newfound physical presence goes beyond Ajayi. The offensive line and the defensive front four are also in on the attitude adjustment.
Coach Adam Gase thinks this type of energy and production is sustainable on all fronts.
"I think just two weeks in a row now we've had the type of energy, attitude, speed that we're looking for on Sundays," he said. "You didn't see anybody waver when we were down. You saw a bunch of guys just kept fighting. You saw both sides of the ball trying to encourage each other. They were playing off each other."
Branden Albert, who has been telling anyone who would listen to not judge this team until the offensive line was healthy, could have taken the opportunity to gloat, but he didn't. Instead, he blended some offbeat wisdom with common sense.
"I always tell people to get their panties out of a bunch, but all of you all laugh at me when I say it," he said with a smile. "It's the truth. We're not trying to toot our horns or nothing, but it's still early season and I know things (were) looking ugly for us in certain games, but we didn't have all of our guns in.
"Now we've got everybody healthy and everybody working, and we've just got to continue doing our job."
--Running back Miami Dolphins running back Arian Foster announced his retirement, effective immediately, on Monday after eight NFL seasons.
Foster, 30, wrote a letter published on ESPN's The Undefeated explaining his decision to walk away.
"There comes a time in every athlete's career when their ambition and their body are no longer on the same page. I've reached that point," Foster said in the letter.
"My father always said, 'You'll know when it's time to walk away.' It has never been more clear than right now. I'm walking away with peace."
A four-time Pro Bowler, Foster spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Houston Texans and is the franchise's all-time rushing leader with 6,572 yards and 54 touchdowns but dealt with constant injuries over the past several seasons.
He led the NFL in rushing yards in 2010 and in rushing touchdowns twice (2010, 2012). He was a First-Team All-Pro in 2010, racking up career-high totals of 1,616 yards and 16 scores on the ground.
Foster joined the Dolphins last offseason and played in four games this season, totaling just 55 rushing yards and failing to score a touchdown.
"I want to thank the Miami Dolphins, with everything in me, for allowing me to bow out with grace and making this process as easy as possible. It means everything to my family and I."
Foster, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009.
He rushed for 2,964 yards and 23 touchdowns -- including 1,193 and 12 as a junior in 2007 -- over four seasons with the Volunteers.
