Tag: DeVante Parker

Dolphins’ DeVante Parker, Mike Gesicki among leaders in AFC since bye

The Miami Dolphins have seen exciting growth from both WR DeVante Parker and TE Mike Gesicki this season under Brian Flores.

The Miami Dolphins offense has enjoyed significant growth from the start of the season until now. And with just one more game left to play, it’s an appropriate time to start the process of looking back over where Miami started versus where they’re poised to finish. And no one should be more eager to lace up the pads again in 2020 than pass catchers DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki.

The two young receiving threats have seen their careers come to life this season in Miami — not just relative to their own expectations and prior contributions, but also relate to the scope of the rest of the league.

According to the Miami Dolphins’ press release for their Week 17 contest against New England, both Gesicki and Parker are among the AFC’s leaders at their respective positions in production since the bye week. Since Miami’s Week 5 bye, here are what Parker and Gesicki have posted (and where it ranks among players at that position in the AFC).

DeVante Parker

Receptions: 54

Yards: 864 (1st in AFC)

Touchdowns: 8 (1st in AFC)

Mike Gesicki

Receptions: 41 (4th in AFC)

Yards: 485 (5th in AFC)

Touchdowns: 4

Is some of this production a byproduct of the opportunities in Miami relative to the rest of the league? Sure. But Parker’s numbers since the bye week would equate to career highs across the board. Same for Gesicki.

That cannot be ignored and is one of the most exciting developments of Miami’s revival in the second half of the 2019 season. Moving forward, the opportunities and net development for both players should provide a launchpad for more consistent production in the future, once Miami further molds this roster in their vision.

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Who is the biggest Pro Bowl snub for the 2019 Miami Dolphins?

Which Miami Dolphin was most snubbed by the 2020 Pro Bowl?

The Miami Dolphins don’t exactly have a ton of candidates to get a call to play in the 2020 Pro Bowl early next season, but the team does have a few players that could make a case. From a statistical standpoint, Miami doesn’t own any box score warriors that would demand representation — and that’s perfectly fine. But when the season comes to a close in two weeks, the Dolphins are likely to have two players with a legitimate argument.

Those two players are linebacker Jerome Baker and wide receiver DeVante Parker.

Parker has enjoyed a career resurgence under new head coach Brian Flores. And with two games left to play, Parker has set career highs in receptions (59), receiving yards (954) and touchdowns (8). Across the scope of the NFL, 59 receptions ranks 40th in the league. Parker’s 954 yards are 21st in the NFL (8th among AFC wide receivers) and his 8 receiving touchdowns are tied for 4th most in the NFL (T-1st among AFC receivers). There’s a legitimate foundation to build his argument upon.

Health willing, Parker is going to surpass 1,000 yards this season for the first time and will probably tack on another touchdown along the way. Of receivers with 50 or more receptions, Parker’s 16.2 yards per catch is 6th best in the NFL. Should the AFC see a receiver drop out for injury or due to playing in the Super Bowl, Parker should get a call. He deserves one.

As far as Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker is concerned, the Dolphins’ second-year linebacker is 18th in the NFL in total tackles with 106. The two AFC inside linebackers with Pro Bowl recognition this year are Indianapolis’ Darius Leonard and New England’s Dont’a Hightower.

Leonard is a well deserved selection despite having less tackles than Baker (104) — he’s made a ton of splash impact plays this season and has been a force all around with 5 sacks, 4 interceptions and 10 passes defensed. It doesn’t get much better than that. Hightower? He’s got 60 tackles on the season with 4 sacks and 7 tackles for loss. It’s pretty incredible that the AFC didn’t have a better second nominee as an off-ball linebacker. Baker has seen some of his impact plays negated due to penalties this season, so his box score stats don’t match up well in terms of splash plays. But if Hightower has a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl roster, Baker can make a case for a spot, too.

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Tunnel Vision of Week 15

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Jameis Winston 458 – 4 4
 Lamar Jackson 212 – 86 5
 Ryan Tannehill 279 – 10 3
 Patrick Mahomes 340 – 11 2
 Mitchell Trubisky 348 – 29 1
Running Backs Yards TD
Kenyan Drake 146 4
Christian McCaffrey 175 2
Miles Sanders 172 2
Ezekiel Elliott 160 2
Saquon Barkley  153 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Breshad Perriman 116 3
Julio Jones 134 2
Jamison Crowder 90 2
DeVante Parker 72 2
Terry McLaurin 130 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Ricky-Seals Jones 29 2
Travis Kelce 142 0
George Kittle 134 0
Darren Waller 122 0
Zach Ertz 61 1
Placekickers XP FG
Dan Bailey 3 4
Robbie Gould 1 3
Nick Folk 4 2
Dustin Hopkins 3 2
Harrison Butker 0 3
Defense Sck-TO TD
Vikings 2 – 7 1
Patriots 0 – 5 1
Eagles 1 – 1 1
Buccaneers 2 – 3 1
Packers 3 – 3 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

Pretty light but last week removed some important players from this Sunday already.

WR Chris Godwin – Hamstring
WR Scott Miller – Hamstring
RB J.D. McKissic – Neck
RB Dalvin Cook – Shoulder
WR Brandin Cooks – Back

Chasing Ambulances

WR Chris Godwin – The Buccaneers already missed Mike Evans and then Chris Godwin went down untouched and had to be carted to the locker room. While the prognosis isn’t available as of this writing, all such signs usually mean missing a week or more And only next week matters.  Breshad Perriman (5-113, 3 TD) was the one to step up with Evans gone.

Scotty Miller also scored in his first game back from injury but then pulled his hamstring. Justin Watson turned in a touchdown in Week 14 replacing Evans for part of the game but was limited to only two catches for 17 yards. If Godwin is still out, Perriman becomes the No. 1 but he won’t surprise anyone after his three scores in Week 15.

Watson would have to play more as the only receiver with any experience left on the roster. The Bucs host the Texans and their weak secondary this week. And Jameis Winston is on a mission to post yardage and scores.

RB Dalvin Cook – He went down yet again with a shoulder injury. He was in obvious pain and seemingly more than the times before. He has to be in doubt for the homestand against the Packers and their weak rushing defense this week. Alexander Mattison would have been the backup, but he was inactive with an ankle injury.

That only leaves Ameer Abdullah (5-25) and Mike Boone (13-56, 2 TD) behind. The Vikes need a run game and whichever back starts will be fantasy relevant against the soft Packers run defense.  If  Cook or Mattison do not return, then expect the same sort of committee with Abdullah and Boone. Cook was injury-prone for his first two seasons and seemed to finally get over his durability issues. Until you absolutely, positively needed him for one specific game. Oh, Dalvin…

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

RB Christian McCaffrey – He not just the guy with the magic year in most of the league playoffs, and he’s not just the No. 1 fantasy running back but a significant margin. He is also the only Panthers player that ever produced over 2,000 total yards in one season. He’s rushed for 1,307 yards on 265 carries and added 814 yards on 94 receptions. That’s 2,121 yards. He still has two more games.

RB Chris Carson – Already had a strong season but the Seahawks just lost Rashaad Penny last week. That left Carson to run 24 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Panthers. Penny was getting up to 15 carries but C.J. Prosise (5-15) and Travis Homer (2-7) didn’t get in the way as much.

RB Joe Mixon – He rushed for 136 yards on 25 carries and even caught three passes for 30 yards versus the No. 1 defense versus running backs. The Bengals only passed for 151 yards and lost the game badly. But at least Mixon’s late-season push continues. He’ll be interesting in 2020 so long as the offense around him gets an upgrade.

QB Jameis Winston – Fractured thumb be damned. Winston passed for 458 yards and four touchdowns against the Lions were nicely timed for fantasy owners in their playoffs. He leads the NFL with 4,573 passing yards and that is a pace for 5,226 yards. That would rank fourth-best in NFL history. He averages 326 yards per game and his final two games are at home against the Texans and Falcons. He only needs 213 yards per game to become the eighth quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 yards.

WR Anthony Miller – He’s produced marginal stats at best this season but he gained over 100 yards in each of his last two road games and scored these last two weeks. His nine catches for 118 yards and a touchdown this week was a season-best.

WR Davante Adams – The Packers only threw for 203 yards and one score on Sunday, but Adams accounted for 103 yards on seven catches and caught the lone touchdown pass.  The Packers have evolved to where there is no fantasy value in any receiver aside from Adams. No matter what happens in the Packers’ passing effort, Adams will produce and no one else will.

TE Travis Kelce – He reeled in 11 catches for 142 yards in the win over the Broncos. He now totals 1,131 yards on the year in the thinnest of fantasy positions. He also just set the record for the only tight end in the history of the NFL to record four straight 1,000 yard seasons.

WR DeVante Parker – He was a flop for his first three seasons. Parker currently totals 59 catches for 954 yards and eight touchdowns and should break 1,000 yards likely this week when they host the Bengals. He just signed a 4-year, $40 million extension. Apparently, he only comes to life when the Dolphins offense becomes completely stripped of all talent. He scored four touchdowns over the last three games.

RB Carlos Hyde – After six years and four different teams, Hyde currently stands at 224 carries for 1,030 yards for the Texans. His first 1,000-yard season. He was only paid $1.8 million this year and is a free agent in 2020. Will the Texans finally draft a talented rookie back or just more of the same by re-signing Hyde?

WR Terry McLaurin – All may not be lost with Dwayne Haskins. The speedy rookie McLaurin just scored for the second week in a row and gained a career-best 130 yards on five catches versus the Eagles.

WR Odell Beckham – He’s nursed a sports hernia all season according to recent reports. And he’s been a disappointment to fantasy owners. He did just catch a season-best eight passes for 66 yards at the Cardinals, in a game where Jarvis Landry was held to only five receptions for 23 yards. He fielded a season-high 13 targets versus eight for Landry.

TE Tyler Higbee – He led the Rams with 12 catches for 111 yards in the loss to the Cowboys. He is in his fourth season and had never gained more than 295 yards in any year. Higbee just turned in his third 100-yard game in a row. He’s suddenly reached the Top-10 for tight ends this season. Gerald Everett is out and had been the lead receiver.  Higbee replaced Everett at an opportune time, but he’s been the No. 1 tight end for the last three weeks.

WR Julio Jones – The Falcons star didn’t have to share with Calvin Ridley but was facing the 49ers defense in San Francisco. He ended with 13 catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner.  He also became the only wideout with 20 targets in one game this year. Tyler Lockett was the leader with 18 in Week 9.

Huddle player of the week

Kenyan Drake  –   Someone is going to be a soon-to-be rich free agent in 2020. Drake just ran for 137 yards and four touchdowns on 22 carries and added nine yards on one catch in the win over the Browns. He’s everything that you thought David Johnson would be. Timing is everything in the world of expiring rookie contracts.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick 312 2 QB Jimmy Garoppolo 206 1
RB Miles Sanders 172 2 RB Melvin Gordon 64 0
RB Tony Pollard 143 1 RB Dalvin Cook 43 0
WR Breshad Perriman 116 3 WR Emmanuel Sanders 9 0
WR Jamison Crowder 90 2 WR Julian Edelman 9 0
WR Anthony Miller 118 2 WR Robert Woods 17 0
TE Ricky Seals-Jones 29 2 TE Hunter Henry 29 0
PK Dan Bailey 3  XP  4  FG PK Greg Zuerlein   1 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 129 Huddle Fantasy Points = 28

Now get back to work…

Giants, Eli Manning snap historic losing streak, defeat Dolphins, 36-20

The New York Giants snapped their franchise-worst losing streak, getting Eli Manning a victory in what may be his final ever game.

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins were hardly billed as must-watch football leading up to their Week 15 battle at MetLife Stadium, and they fully lived up down to those expectations on Sunday.

The first quarter was relatively tame, uneventful and, admittedly, downright boring at times. Neither offense could really get anything going, while sloppy play dominated throughout.

The Dolphins did have an opportunity to go up early, but kicker Jason Sanders was unable to connect on a 49-yard field goal in windy conditions.

Things picked up a bit in the second quarter as each team got their offense moving and the defenses began to get more physical. Still, the play was hardly anything to write home about.

Miami got on the board first, recovering from a failed fourth-down conversion on their previous series to drive the ball an impressive 89 yards on nine plays, capping things off with a 20-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to wide receiver DeVante Parker.

The Giants immediately answered back in a big way, driving the ball 75 yards on just three plays, concluding with a 51-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver Golden Tate, who did an excellent job fighting through a pass interference and staying with a ball that was bobbled.

After forcing the Dolphins to a quick punt, the Giants had an opportunity to execute a two-minute drive, but Manning inexplicably threw an interception into the waiting arms of linebacker Vince Biegel.

The Dolphins wouldn’t let that opportunity go to waste, connecting on a 24-yard field goal with just :44 remaining in the first half.

New York did little with what time remained, gaining short yardage on consecutive plays before Manning tossed a long pass incomplete along the sideline and then tossed another pick out of desperation, leaving the Giants with a 10-7 halftime deficit.

Opening the second half, the Giants came out on fire, taking the opening kickoff and driving the ball 70 yards and six incredibly effective plays, including a five-yard touchdown pass from Manning to rookie wide receiver Darius Slayton to give Big Blue a 14-10 lead.

On the ensuing series, linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive lineman Leonard Williams went head-to-head with Fitzpatrick, who was attempting a third-down scramble for a first down, but the ball was punched loose and recovered by the Giants.

Not to be outdone, Manning promptly tossed his third interception of the day, immediately giving Miami the ball back and taking near-guaranteed points off the board.

Unlike the Giants, the Dolphins were able to capitalize on the turnover, connecting on a 47-yard Sanders field goal after 22 yards on five plays.

The Giants offense would again sputter after getting the ball back, but their special teams and defense apparently came to play. And following a beautiful booming punt by Riley Dixon and a series of penalties that downed the ball inside the one-yard-line, cornerback Sam Beal came up with a huge play, bringing running back Patrick Laird down in the endzone for a safety.

With yet another opportunity and solid field position following the post-safety drop-kick, the Giants offense would not be denied again. It took just three plays to drive 40 yards, highlighted by a 24-yard pass and catch from Manning to wide receiver Sterling Shepard, before running back Saquon Barkley plunged in for a touchdown from one-yard out, giving Big Blue a 23-13 lead.

After forcing Miami to a quick three-and-out, the Giants had the ball back and were in a position to put the game away — a precarious position for the team at other times in recent season. This time, however? The pedal went to the metal.

Turning the offense up to 100, Manning & Co. drove 66 yards on eight plays and made it look remarkably easier — easier than it’s been all season. That was additionally evident as Barkley casually walked in from 10 yards out to put the Giants up 30-13 in the fourth quarter.

After exchanging a series of punts and having the Dolphins turn the ball over on downs, the Giants put the icing on the cake with a five-play, 55-yard drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown run courtesy of Buck Allen. However, kicker Aldrick Rosas missed the PAT, leaving the score at 36-13.

With under 2:00 remaining, Miami got back on the board with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick to Parker, but by that time, it was too late to rally.

The game essentially came to a close with Eli Manning being removed from the field to a rousing standing ovation and chants of, “Eli Manning! Eli Manning!”

With the win, the Giants improve to 3-11 on the season. They will travel to D.C. to take on the Washington Redskins in Week 16.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Week 15 Q&A with Dolphins Wire

With a Week 15 matchup between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins on tap, we go behind enemy lines for a chat with Dolphins Wire.

The New York Giants (2-11) and Miami Dolphins (3-10) will square off on Sunday afternoon in Week 15.

The Giants opened the week as 3.5-point home favorites, and the spread hasn’t changed at all as of Sunday morning, with Big Blue still at -3.5

With this matchup on tap, Giants Wire took the opportunity to hold a Q&A with Dolphins Wire managing editor Kyle Crabbs.

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Giants Wire: What happened with Josh Rosen and that entire situation that led to Ryan Fitzpatrick earning his starting job back? Miami seemed relatively sold on Rosen, who many believe has gotten a raw deal early on in his career.

Kyle Crabbs: By the time Rosen got into camp and the coaching staff really had the chance to get their hands on him, it became apparent pretty quickly that Rosen’s prior coaching hadn’t adequately prepared him for life as an NFL quarterback.

Rosen had zero experience in identifying the MIKE and making protection calls at the line of scrimmage — which resulted in irregular results in live game action and slowed Rosen’s ability to read and react.

By halftime of the Washington game in Week 6, it was clear Rosen’s inconsistencies here were preventing the Dolphins from getting an assessment on the rest of their roster, which is the primary objective for 2019. As a result, the switch to Fitzpatrick was made.

Continue …

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Dolphins’ DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson will play vs. Giants

Miami Dolphins wide receivers DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson have cleared concussion protocol and will play against the New York Giants.

The Miami Dolphins were concerned they might be short at wide receiver in Week 15 as both DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson were dealing with concussions. However, as of Saturday evening, the pair were cleared and are expected to start against the New York Giants.

That’s bad news for the Giants, who waived veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins earlier this week and will now have to rely on sophomore cornerback Sam Beal and rookie cornerback DeAndre Baker to slow down Miami’s talented trio (which includes Allen Hurns).

Parker is having a career year and will likely be strongly considered as an All-Pro. In 13 games this season, he has hauled in 55 receptions for 882 yards and six touchdowns.

Wilson, meanwhile, has not been nearly as productive, but has still managed to haul in 26 receptions for 154 yards and one touchdown.

The odds tip slightly in Miami’s favor given the clear matchup advantages they now have offensively.

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Pair of Dolphins receivers clear concussion protocol

Miami Dolphins wide receivers DeVante Parker and Albert Wilson have both cleared concussion protocol.

The Miami Dolphins were set to enter Week 15 without another duo of pass catchers, which would have put this team down to the absolute bare bones against the New York Giants. With both Albert Wilson and DeVante Parker suffering concussions this past week against the New York Jets, the receivers’ availability was left in question — hardly the place the Dolphins wanted to be with Preston Williams and Jakeem Grant already out for the remainder of the season.

But Miami got some good news on Saturday, as it was announced by ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe that both Parker and Wilson have cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will have the opportunity to suit up for Miami in Week 15 against the Giants.

With New York recently cutting CB Janoris Jenkins for a public spat with a fan and starting safety Jabrill Peppers placed on IR at the start of December, both Wilson and Parker appear to have a looming opportunity to make some big plays in Week 15. The contest between the two teams looms large as an NFL Draft hurdle — not that anyone in the Miami Dolphins locker room really cares. Instead, this team is looking to build as much momentum heading into 2020 as possible. That would include a win today against the Giants — and having Parker and Wilson readily available helps the cause.

The Dolphins kick off their Week 15 contest against the Giants at 1PM EST at MetLife Stadium.

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2019 Bills opponents: Dolphins re-sign WR DeVante Parker

Buffalo Bills AFC East opponent, the Miami Dolphins, re-signed WR DeVante Parker.

The Dolphins are tearing things down and building back up starting this offseason. So far there’s at least one current player who believes in what the team is doing.

Wide receiver DeVante Parker landed a new four-year deal with the Dolphins on Friday, the team announced. The deal is worth $40 million and includes $21.5 million in guarantees with an $8 million signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The former first-round pick of the Dolphins in 2015 has had a resurgence of sorts in his career. The Dolphins did pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contact last season, then re-signed him to a two-year extension. After a strong 2019 season, he’s now been re-upped again.

After only recording 24 catches in 11 games last season for 309 yards, Parker is going to have a career-high year with Miami this season, despite their re-building efforts. With three games left, Parker has 55 catches for 882 yards and six touchdowns. The six scores and 882 yards is already a career-high for him and he’ll only need three more catches to set a career-high in receptions.

As an AFC East foe, Parker’s career against the Bills has been up-and-down. But like his career, his best year against Buffalo came this past season. Parker had 12 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown against the Bills in 2019, including a seven catch, 135 yard game in Week 10.

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Why the Dolphins are running good business by extending DeVante Parker

The Miami Dolphins have extended WR DeVante Parker and that’s ultimately a good business decision.

Miami Dolphins faithful have waited four years for an explosion like this from wide receiver DeVante Parker. And in 2019, the Dolphins have got it. Parker, who is hoping to play tomorrow against the New York Giants, will also be a member of the Dolphins for a long time after signing a 4-year, $40 million dollar contract extension through 2023 last night. The move is something of a surprise, given the close proximity to the end of the season, but more than anything else this deal is good business for the Miami Dolphins.

Because the Dolphins need all the positive messaging that they can possibly send to the outside world. When Miami was looking to add defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the roster, Clowney spurned Miami and didn’t want to be a part of the rebuild. Former 1st-round safety Minkah Fitzpatrick pitched a fit about his usage in Miami, eventually spurning a trade away from the Dolphins organization just two weeks into the season.

And with so much salary cap room at the team’s disposal come March, the Dolphins are going to want to spend for new starters — and they’ll need positive messaging beyond how much money they can throw at potential free agent signings. There needs to be affirmation that the Dolphins aren’t just rebuilding, but they’re rebuilding right.

That’s what the Parker deal signifies. Parker’s agent echoed excitement for the future, which of course is aided by the contract extension, which includes an $8M signing bonus and $21.5M in guarantees.

And pair that excitement for the future with Parker’s comments to ESPN just last week.

“…these coaches believed in me. They gave me a second chance when they didn’t have to. I hope I can be here a long time,” said Parker.

As the Dolphins look to land free agents and sell players on coming to be a Miami Dolphin, talents like a happy, paid and productive DeVante Parker will be one of the bigger selling points.

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Dolphins’ Chandler Cox doubtful, DeVante Parker questionable vs. Giants

The Miami Dolphins have listed FB Chandler Cox as doubtful and WR DeVante Parker as questionable vs. the New York Giants.

The New York Giants waived veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins on Friday, making an already suspect secondary that much weaker — something that could be good news for the Miami Dolphins.

However, as a sort of a counter-balance, Miami wide receiver DeVante Parker is listed as questionable for the Week 15 game due to a concussion and is expected to be a game-time decision.

If Parker can’t go wide receiver Mack Hollins is expected to take his place.

The Dolphins are also expected to be without fullback Chandler Cox, who is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury, while another wide receiver, Albert Wilson, is also listed as questionable with a concussion.

Cornerback Nik Needham (groin), linebacker Jerome Baker (chest/jaw), quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (shoulder), running back Patrick Laird (hip) and wide receiver Allen Hurns (ankle/knee) all practiced on at least a limited basis and did not receive an injury designation.

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