Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
CAPABLE HANDS
Offensive coordinator praises unit
Dolphins receivers are game-changers.
DAVIE — DeVante Parker had his moment late in the Los Angeles Rams game. He caught the game-winning 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Tannehill with 36 seconds left to deliver the Dolphins’ 14-10 victory Nov. 20.
It was just another example of what the Dolphins’ young wide receivers are capable of doing.
“I consider them a gamechanging unit,” Dolphins offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said.
The Dolphins’ wide receivers might need to be a gamewinning crew Sunday at Pittsburgh in the AFC wild-card playoff game. That’s OK with them because they’ve showed this season they can handle that job, too.
“We’ve proven that there are days where we can’t run the ball, and we can throw the ball and win football games,” Christensen said.
The wide receivers have also proven they can affect the game with their blocking. On many of running back Jay Ajayi’s long runs, the wide re-
ceivers clear the way. Ajayi said they’ve been “incredible” as blockers.
“I think it kind of started earlier, in midseason, where we just made it a focus to finish all of our runs in practice, receivers finishing blocking down the field, and it’s translated to the game,” Ajayi said.
But mostly these guys do it with their hands.
Moments before Parker’s play in that Rams game, fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry had his moment when he ruggedly plowed into the end zone, with the help of a few friends pushing and shoving him across the goal line, to give the Dolphins their first touchdown and cut their deficit to 10-7 with 4:02 left.
And in the Dolphins’ 26-23 victory against Arizona, wide receiver Kenny Stills had a 29-yard reception with 37 seconds left that set up the game-winning 21-yard field goal by Andrew Franks.
The key now, according to Christensen, is consistency.
“We need them all hitting on all cylinders every week,” he said.
Landry, Parker and Stills should have a good chance of doing that with quarterback Matt Moore against Pittsburgh.
Communication has already improved in their three-plus games together, after starting QB Tannehill was injured.
“Sunday was a perfect example,” Moore said. “The Patriots were pretty stingy. I think on Jarvis’ touchdown, he started on the right side of the field and worked all the way left and I kind of found him. Things like that.
“I think they understand how I see things now, and use it to their advantage to get open and catch balls underneath. Just little things like that.”
Recent statistics show the wide receivers have improved as the season has progressed.
Landry, nicknamed “Juice,” has 30 receptions for 403 yards and two touchdowns in the past five games.
Parker has 31 receptions for 441 yards and two touchdowns in the past eight games.
Stills has 19 receptions for 318 yards and five touchdowns in the past six games.
Each receiver has his own characteristics and specialty.
Landry, the ultra-competitive third-year player who makes the tough catches and tough runs after catch, is the leader of the unit. He made the Pro Bowl last year after becoming the first wide receiver in franchise history to have 100 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. He followed up by posting 94 receptions for 1,136 yards and four touchdowns this season.
Stills, the fourth-year player who serves as the deep threat, is eligible to fetch big dollars as a free agent in the offseason. He had 42 receptions for 726 yards and a career-best nine touchdowns this season.
Parker, the second-year player who has overcome injuries and learned maturity and professionalism, is the most intriguing of the trio, because he’s a threat at the short, intermediate and deep levels. He had career bests in receptions (56), yards (744) and touchdowns (four) this season.
But together they’ve become a playmaking group that could have a major effect Sunday at Pittsburgh.
“I’m very confident in all of our players on offense,” Ajayi said. “We have a 1,000-yard receiver in Juice, a guy that scored nine touchdowns in Kenny, and DeVante can take it to the house any play.”
“I think they understand how I see things now, and use it to their advantage to get open and catch balls underneath. Just little things like that.” Dolphins quarterback
Matt Moore, speaking of the team’s receivers