DeVante Parker still not willing to admit he dropped Mac Jones' deep pass in Las Vegas
BOSTON -- Had veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker simply stated that he dropped a critical pass after the Patriots' loss on Sunday, then everyone would have largely moved on from the misplay. Instead, Parker was a bit combative and evasive when asked about the play, leading to dozens of headlines and hours of sports radio conversations dedicated to his lack of accountability.
And when given a few days to reflect on the play, Parker still isn't really changing his tune.
ESPN's Mike Reiss shared a clip of a brief interview from the Patriots' locker room on Wednesday afternoon, in which Parker explains that Raiders safety Marcus Epps pulled the receiver's right arm down just before the ball arrived.
"I saw where dude's hand kind of tugged my arm a little bit. I'd say my right hand got there kind of late," Parker said. "So I wasn't able to like, get a full grasp of it. I was able to see pics of it."
When asked if he would have caught the ball if not for that grab, Parker said, "Oh yeah, no, for sure. It kind of messed up the timing a little bit. But he made a good play."
WR DeVante Parker was among those talking to reporters today in the locker room.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 18, 2023
One topic I asked him about was what he saw on the long dropped pass in reviewing Sunday’s loss; he noted how the timing of getting his right hand up was affected. pic.twitter.com/DPYLXorCbh
Replay of the drop shows that Epps did make some slight contact with Parker, but it certainly doesn't appear to constitute a grab or a tug. And Parker's right arm might have been begun dropping before the contact was even made.
Great googily moogily. pic.twitter.com/dSvOwNRtlq
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) October 15, 2023
This balls NEEDS to be caught. pic.twitter.com/774TbeWE2q
— Patriot RedZone (@PatriotRedZone) October 15, 2023
Even if it was a "tug," it still would qualify as the type of contact that NFL receivers must work through in order to make some catches.
Had Parker made that catch, the Patriots would have had the ball across midfield, needing just a field goal to win the game. Instead, Mac Jones was sacked in the end zone on the next play for a safety that, for all intents and purposes, ended the game.
The drop was not the worst play in football history, and Parker's inability to admit that he flat-out dropped the pass is not the end of the world. It is, however, merely one visible element of a 1-5 football team where positives -- and wins -- are hard to come by.