By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Heath Miller #83 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs after a catch against the Cleveland Browns on November 11, 2007 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
It's nice to think the Steelers' offensive coaches and quarterbacks spent much of the past eight days huddling, trying to come up with new and creative ways to get the football to the team's next great star.
Heath Miller.
If they didn't, shame on them.
The relentless NFL propaganda machine spit out a bit of fascinating information the other day: Tight ends as a group are on a record-breaking pace for catches and receiving yards. It seems offensive coordinators have smartened up and are realizing a clever way to attack the cover-2 defense they so frequently see is by matching up their athletic tight end one on one with a linebacker. The phenomenal production of Cleveland's Kellen Winslow Jr. (62 catches for 874 yards, five touchdowns), Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez (62-738, 4), San Diego's Antonio Gates (54-729, 6) and Dallas' Jason Witten (59-750, 6) has powered this surge.
Miller's production, not so much.
That's unfortunate.
Although Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is using Miller more than Ken Whisenhunt did before him -- Miller has 33 catches for 457 yards and six touchdowns going into the game against the Miami Dolphins tonight, just one fewer catch than he had all of last season -- he is not using him nearly enough. Miller had only two catches in three of the past four games. Talk about a waste of a great talent.
"You say that, but I think we went 3-1 in those four games," Miller said, always the consummate team man. "That's ultimately the only stat that matters. That's the only one I care about. The game isn't all about getting the ball to me."
No one is saying it should be.
But might the Steelers -- sitting in first place at 7-3 in the AFC North Division, trying to hold off the Cleveland Browns (7-4) -- be winning even more if they took full advantage of Miller's impressive skills?
In fairness to Arians, the Steelers wanted to use Miller more in that crushing overtime loss to the New York Jets last week. The Jets did a nice job of taking him away by dropping a linebacker into underneath pass coverage. "Some of the post patterns that had been there before just weren't there that game," Miller said.
It's fair to say Miller will see more of that strategy tonight.
The NFL is a copy-cat league, remember?
That's OK, though. There are ways to beat any defense.
For one thing, the Steelers can move Miller around even more than they do normally and give the Dolphins defense different looks. If they can just get him matched up a few times with Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter, they'll be successful. At this stage of his outstanding career, Porter can't win those battles.
But the best thing the Steelers can do with Miller is not take him out of the lineup in so many passing situations. He comes out when Arians sends in four wide receivers. That's absurd. Miller should never leave the field. He's too good of a receiver to sit out plays. Wouldn't you rather have him out there than Cedrick Wilson or Willie Reid?
Miller has to have a big game tonight because the Steelers will be without deep-threat wide receiver Santonio Holmes (ankle). The Dolphins figure to load up their coverage against the Steelers' leader of the wideouts, Hines Ward. You would think Miller will be quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's first option. Certainly, he will be his most dependable option. He not only gets open and catches everything, he's a load to bring down.
"I really don't think my role is going to change," Miller said. "We have other experienced wide receivers to step in and run the same plays. We'll miss Santonio, but our offense will just keep on rolling."
Here's hoping Miller is saying that for the Dolphins' benefit.
What a shame it would be otherwise.
"He's a Pro Bowl tight end," Roethlisberger said of Miller.
No argument here.
But it's time the Steelers start treating Miller as such.
Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com.
First published on November 26, 2007 at 12:00 am
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