Dolphins’ DeVante Parker caps his hugely consequential week with another big game
A clean bill of health, a fat pay raise and two more touchdowns.
And yet, DeVante Parker was in a grouchy mood Sunday afternoon, which should encourage the Dolphins, who on Friday gave their best offensive player a four-year, $40 million contract extension.
It shows that, in Parker’s mind, numbers are great, but wins are better.
“I’m not happy,” Parker said. “We didn’t win.”
Other than a drop Sunday, it’s hard to see what more Parker could have done. On seven targets, he had four catches, 72 yards and two touchdowns. He now has career highs in receptions (59), yards (954) and touchdowns (eight).
Parker had little to say about his new deal in the post-game locker room Sunday.
But Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said Parker was deserving of the long-term security.
“It’s nice to see guys rewarded when they play well,” Fitzpatrick said. “I was really excited because I know he’s had some ups and downs and he’s worked really hard this year. So it was really good to see him get rewarded for it.”
Needham’s adventures
Nik Needham, always interesting at MetLife Stadium.
Two weeks in a row now he was in the middle of some the game’s biggest plays.
A week after he was the victim of a game-costing interference-via-replay, Needham had a wild afternoon on the very same field.
In the first half of Dolphins-Giants Sunday, Needham was called for a drive-extending illegal contact, interfered on a throw to Golden Tate that Tate nonetheless caught and took for a touchdown, and then intercepted Eli Manning on the final play before the break.
What happened on the Tate touchdown?
“I went for the ball, missed and he caught it.”
As for the interception, which Needham grabbed on Manning’s pass to Tate?
“We were playing outside leverage. He ran the same route the play before. He ran the same route again. I didn’t think they were going to throw it. He threw it to me again. He trusts his guys more than us. I went up there and tried to make a play on the ball. Tried to score with it, but it didn’t work out. I got tackled by my old teammate in college, Will Hernandez. It’s kind of funny.”
Needham, still just a rookie, was the Dolphins’ most experienced boundary cornerback Sunday. That’s because the Dolphins started new acquisition Nate Brooks, who was on the field because Ryan Lewis is out for the year.
Brooks was one of six new players to make their Dolphins debut Sunday. The others: defensive tackle Zach Sieler, wide receiver Trevor Davis, cornerback Linden Stephen and offensive lineman Evan Brown.
Davis handled kickoff and punt return duties with Marcus Sherels cut this week. Brown came off the bench and played both left and right guard Sunday.
The Dolphins have now had 80 different players see the field in 2019, breaking the NFL record (78, Houston Texans, 2017).
Odds and ends
▪ Charles Harris was a healthy scratch for the first time in his career, and it’s entirely possible the former first-round pick has played his final down as a Miami Dolphin.
Harris has just a half-sack this year and 3 1/2 sacks in 40 games as a pro. Meanwhile, Taco Charlton was back in the mix after getting benched a week ago.
▪ Guard Keaton Sutherland went from starter to inactive in a week, as rookie Michael Deiter returned as Miami’s starting left guard. Meanwhile, Evan Boehm was benched after starting eight of the Dolphins’ first 13 games. Shaq Calhoun started at right guard again. Brown replaced both Deiter and Calhoun at times Sunday.
▪ Along with Needham, linebackers Jerome Baker and Vince Biegel intercepted Manning Sunday.
▪ Kudos to Matt Haack, who has had a solid season. His well-placed second-quarter punt was downed at the 1, one of two he placed inside the 20 on the day.
▪ The Dolphins were 0 for 2 in the red zone Sunday, a week after going scoreless in six trips inside the 20 against the Jets.
▪ Linebacker Raekwon McMillan left the game in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury.
This story was originally published December 15, 2019 at 6:15 PM.
