Anthony Miller believes Chicago Bears fans didn’t see the real him last year. A constant problem with a dislocated shoulder didn’t allow the young wide receiver to play at the speeds he’s used to. That is why his productivity was somewhat erratic at times. Yet in spite of that, he still had seven touchdown catches, leading all rookie receivers. If he did that with basically one good arm? Imagine what he might do at 100%.
Mello Miller of the “Stick To Football” podcast certainly has. He and his fellow hosts sat down to discuss the NFC North in a preview segment. Their conversation boiled down to two things. Who did they think would be a breakout player for the team, why, and what would the final record be for the 2019 season? His podcast partners went with Adam Shaheen and David Montgomery respectively.
Not Mello. He’s a big believer in Miller. So much that he made a rather bold prediction for the upcoming year.
“I think Mitch Trubisky does take another step forward and I think a guy that’s going to pay off from that is Anthony Miller, our distant cousin, who is going to be very good this year. Had 33 catches last year. I thought he had a really good rookie season and really impressed people. Whether it was in the preseason or in offseason workouts. I really like his game and I think he’s going to be maybe even the #1 target on this team.”
Anthony Miller has an Antonio Brown feel to him
Watch Miller on film. The body type, the route running, and the sneaky speed should remind a lot of people of Antonio Brown. Whenever the ball is in the air, it’s his and nobody else’s. That is how a #1 receiver acts. He may have had just 33 catches as a rookie, but he was cheated out of quite a few big ones thanks to some miscommunications and misfires with Mitch Trubisky. Problems that should get ironed out this year.
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Obviously, there is a long way to go before Miller can be mentioned in the same breath as Brown, but the point is the potential is there. His talent and this offensive system are a perfect match. If he is indeed healthy and on the same page with Trubisky, then he could surpass Allen Robinson for the designation of the #1 receiver. Don’t forget the two weren’t that far apart in total targets. Robinson had 94 and Miller 54.
Considering Miller didn’t get as many snaps as Robinson over the course of the season, that margin isn’t as big as it should be. Also, don’t forget the rookie caught just 21 fewer passes. It’s not a reach at all.
