Dolphins’ Jerome Baker named AFC Defensive Player of the Month; Nik Needham still has his pick-six ball

Miami Dolphins linebacker Jerome Baker was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December, the NFL announced connected Thursday morning.

In Miami’s three-game agelong successful the month, Baker had 16 tackles, six for loss, and 3 ½ sacks portion the squad went 3-0 arsenic portion of its seven-game winning streak it enters Sunday’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans with.

“I was successful meetings. I was conscionable sitting determination and my telephone conscionable kept buzzing and buzzing and buzzing,” Baker said of however helium recovered retired Thursday morning. “I deliberation Duke [Riley] reposted it, and I clicked the notification. That’s erstwhile I recovered out. I was decidedly happy.”

Baker is the archetypal Dolphin to triumph a Player of the Month grant since antiaircraft extremity Cameron Wake successful October of 2012. A Dolphins subordinate has been selected for the grant 13 times, tied with the Bills and Chiefs for astir among AFC teams.

Baker has been a cardinal to the Dolphins defence allowing the fewest yards per crippled (214) successful December. Mostly playing wrong linebacker, helium has besides rotated to extracurricular linebacker successful definite matchups, giving Miami versatility successful its antiaircraft front.

On the season, Baker has 79 tackles, 8 for loss, 4 ½ sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and 14 backmost hits.

Other AFC Players of the Month were Chiefs backmost Patrick Mahomes connected discourtesy and Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson connected peculiar teams. In the NFC, Green Bay Packers backmost Aaron Rodgers, Los Angeles Rams antiaircraft lineman Aaron Donald and Atlanta Falcons punter Thomas Morstead won monthly awards. The NFL’s Rookies of the Month were Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

Baker is besides the Dolphins’ campaigner for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, which honors players for their enactment successful the community.

The NFL besides announced connected Thursday that Dolphins antiaircraft backmost Jason McCourty was 1 of 8 finalists astir the league for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

The grant is presented each twelvemonth to an NFL subordinate who champion demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including just play, respect for the crippled and opponents, and integrity successful competition, according to the league’s release.

McCourty had 21 tackles and 2 walk deflections successful 7 games this play earlier a ft wounded outgo him the remainder of the season.

Needham’s pick-six ball

When Dolphins cornerback Nik Needham intercepted an Ian Book walk and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown connected the 3rd antiaircraft play connected Monday successful New Orleans, helium launched it up into the rafters of the Superdome successful celebration.

Needham could’ve easy mislaid the shot connected his archetypal vocation pick-six, which helium said was the archetypal clip helium ever had an interception returned for a touchdown astatine immoderate level.

But nary worries. The shot was really retrieved by teammate and wide receiver Mack Hollins. Needham said Thursday that Hollins caught the shot connected the mode down and got it backmost to its rightful owner.

“I decidedly person to prevention that one, for sure,” Needham said. “I gave my archetypal prime to my ma and my 2nd 1 to my dad, truthful I’ll support this one.”

Needham said helium was inundated with household and friends contacting him aft the play, including radical helium hadn’t heard from since aboriginal connected successful precocious school.

Thursday updates

The Dolphins had nary astonishment absences from the media viewing information of Thursday’s practice. None of the six players from the progressive roster inactive connected the reserve/COVID-19 database — information Brandon Jones, wide receivers Albert Wilson and Preston Williams, antiaircraft linemen Adam Butler and John Jenkins and defender Solomon Kindley — were not seen backmost astatine practice.

This communicative volition beryllium updated