Heath Miller

I would like to know on why we do not throw to Miller more often. In the first half of the game he had the only significant yardage when we throw to him twice and then in the second half that catch brought us to the 6" line with the personnel foul penalty. Your thoughts. I hate to say this but Brady wears Gronk out along with Edleman.

 

I think he is just a victim of the numbers game. We have better options than him as a receiver. Brown, Bell, and Bryant are clearly superior threats, and I'd argue that maybe even DHB at this point (you're welcome PWP) is too. He just isn't the primary target on most plays since they are designed to go to our other playmakers. Also, his blocking ability keeps him on the line quite a bit opening up holes for Bell. That will reduce the number of opportunities he gets in he passing game as well.

As for the Cheats, Gronk is their best receiving threat by far. Edelman is second, and it's really hard to find a third threat for them... Lewis the RB maybe? They throw to him so much because he is the best threat they have. Miller will never be that for us. He's a really good player in multiple facets, he just will never see the targets or stats that Gronk does.

Doesn't make him a bad player, he just isn't the same type of player as Gronk.

 

I could be wrong but I would say Miller stays to help pass protect more often than Gronk. Also, since the Steelers have more offensive weapons than the Patriots, they can afford to let Miller block more than go out on pass routes. And even when he go out on pass routes, you still got potent weapons like Brown, Bryant, Bell, and others to throw to.

 

I would say it`s because Ben is not throwing the ball right now.
When Ben `s throwing, he looks to Heath as a last option checkdown, even when he is not the primary reciever...
And Haley designs plays for Heath, as an option, that he can`t use now, that he`s keeping Heath in even more, to block..
Vick, MIGHT be just figuring out what a weapon he has, after a couple big completions, against San Diego, but Haley is probably keeping Heath inside, to block more for Vick, than he would for Ben...
He damn sure was, Monday nite....

 

Thank God he plays on our team.

 

Vick cannot check down. He doesn't go through progressions and is not strong on reading Defenses.
Heath will be missed when he hangs up the cleats. One of the most underrated TE's in the game. He has the complete game. Although the talking heads don't give him the time of day ALL the stadiums do: HEATH!!!!!!!!!!!! Pittsburgh Strong!

 

Because I think, unlike Vick, Heath can actually read a defense and know where guys are gonna come from and he stays back to pass protect to protect Vick's body from Vick's brain. That's why I love Heath more than maybe any Steeler ever. He is such a team player and man when he's gone we're gonna miss him more than we even know. When Ben gets back he will get back to catching passes though. The other day I heard fantasy fanboys talking about how they were dropping him like crazy and I just thought "Go right ahead and when Ben gets back he will make you all look like the morons that you are". You don't diss Heath and expect me to take that lightly. LOL!

 

All I can say is...I love Heath.

Heath and I are from the same place and I was thinking the other night when the fans in San Diego were chanting Heeeeeeeeath that that's pretty heady stuff for a boy from Swords Creek, VA. And he gets that no matter where the Steelers play. Is there any other player in the league that gets that kind of welcome at EVERY stadium that he plays in? I think not.

One last thing. That catch that Heath made at the goal line was unbelievable. It was not an easy catch and he got pummeled with the helmet to helmet personal foul penalty. I know Bell is getting all the headlines and deservedly so, but Heath made the tough catch to get us in position!

 

okay TTF
explain it to us "WHO HAVEN'T PLAYED THE GAME"
week 1 40 pass plays and Heath stayed in just 4 times to block? he ran routes for 36?
or blocked then ran out
?????

 

Yep, he does stay in to block more often, however in this game it was clear that the Chargers were keying on Brown and Bell coming out of the backfield. Coaches should see this during the game. They waited almost too late to get the ball back to Heath at the 6" line.

 

TTF

If I read the chart right, in the last game it says out of 25 pass plays, Heath went out as a receiver on 19 plays? If that is the case then it's Vick not looking for him, right?

 

quit stealing my ?

 

Comparing Heath to Gronk just isn't fair. Heath pass blocks a ton, he isn't near what Gronk is catching the ball.
Gronk will gone done as one of the best pass catching TE's of all time.

That being said. He doesn't have a lot of chemistry with Vick, look at how much Brown's production has dropped with Ben out.
Not like Brown is doing anything different than he always has.

 

wk 1 I see 26-38 for Ben
that stupid play withAB is another
what other crazy chiet we try in that game ?

 

Gotch you, that chart is really surprising to me.

 

I've always wondered if Gronk can block or if he is more of just a one trick pony. Not that he's not GREAT at what he does because he is. I'm just curious how well rounded he is. I'm not curious how well rounded Heath is though. I know he's awesome all the way around.

 

Teams are clogging the middle and Jamming the outside they are daring Haley and Vick to go down the field . Ben was seeing the same thing I was seeing time for some double moves . So what really needs to happen is to keep Miller in more to give time for double moves or go No Te's all together ..This approach will create more space on the Field and easier throws..

 

I think it is a combination of several factors. Biggest one is Ben is not at QB. Next Vick is barely 6 foot tall if I remember. He either can't see over the line or does not see the middle of the field as well as Ben. Vick needs throwing lanes much more so then Ben does. There were several times had Vick waited a half a second more guys were opening up across the middle. Easy for me to say since I am not being chased by 300 lb guys. I also think until the bomb to Wheaton Monday Night Vick had a case of the football yips so to speak. He was aiming the ball trying not to make a mistake. He was thinking instead of playing. That 4th quarter he looked more like a QB and less like a scared deer in headlights. I am interested to see if that gave him the boost of confidence to start playing and throwing downfield more or what we saw the first 3 quarters is the norm. If the first 3 quarters are the norm I would think about playing Landry...

 

The Pats basically use him as a WR. Very similar to Graham in that regard. I'd be willing to bet that if they asked him to be good at it, he would be good at it. I'm sure he almost never blocks tho, so he probably isn't that great at it.

 

You saw vick throwing right. He has a hard time hitting his target and when he does it's more about the receivers abilities then Vicks.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with virtually every single post that's been made already on this thread. Great observations and analyses (PL). This MB rocks! Now if we could turn to politics for a minute, I really think that....................never mind, bad idea.

 

Yeah really it seems like the era of big blocking and possession receiver TE's is sorta going away. It won't surprise me if we look back on this era and say that guys like Heath and Whitten were the last of a dying breed. I really don't even think Gates is that good of a blocker is he? And weren't Tony Gonzalez's blocking skills questionable too?

 

PM ME! THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE SUBJECTS! LOL!