Dolphins vs. SF 49ers: 3 matchups Niners must win in Week 5
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: SF 49ers Secondary vs. DeVante Parker
After a so-so first four years at the pro level after being selected by Miami No. 14 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, wide receiver DeVante Parker is starting to come into his own and looks like yet again another legitimate receiving force.
A year after Parker recorded a career-best 1,202 yards on 79 receptions and nine touchdowns, Parker is once again leading all Dolphins pass-catchers with 279 yards this season and would be on pace to record 1,116 receiving yards over the course of the year.
If there’s good news for the SF 49ers, it’s they’re currently allowing the second-fewest pass yards in the league over the first four weeks (736) and have generally prevented opponents’ wide receivers from taking over games, aside from the Arizona Cardinals’ DeAndre Hopkins way back in Week 1.
Yet if there’s bad news for the Niners, it’s the fact they’ll be without cornerbacks Richard Sherman (calf) and K’Waun Williams (knee) for the foreseeable future. Fellow corner Emmanuel Moseley is still going through the concussion protocol and missed practice early in the week, while cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was limited.
This means the starting tandem on the boundary could just as likely be Jason Verrett and Dontae Johnson.
Johnson surrendered the crucial 42-yard go-ahead touchdown to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Travis Fulgham last week, which doesn’t bode well against a more experienced wideout like Parker.
If Parker has himself another top-level performance, it’ll spell plenty of trouble for San Francisco.