Anthony Miller is a good football player. Notice how that sentence is structured. Not wide receiver. “Football player.” There’s a vital difference between the two phrases. Now, this is not to say the new Chicago Bears rookie isn’t a receiver first. The kid has loads of game in that department. He stacked up back-to-back years over 1,400 yards receiving at Memphis with 22 touchdowns in that span.
The kid was a machine. Yet being a good receiver is simple enough. Run the route, catch the ball. Get as many yards after the catch as you can. Next play. Being a good football player is about doing more than one thing well. It’s about embracing every responsibility beyond what your job title is. Going that extra mile to ensure the success of the team, not just yourself.
No, this doesn’t mean special teams as a return man. That’s an easy copout. For wide receivers, there is no more overlooked value to their position than blocking. People always think the biggest blocks are reserved for the offensive line or the tight ends. Sure the majority of times this is true but some of the biggest runs every year in the NFL or college doesn’t happen without a wide receiver taking a defender out of the play down the field.
A lot of them refuse to embrace this style of player. Miller is not one of them. Here are just a few examples of the complete player the Bears just drafted.
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Block #1 vs. East Carolina
Didn’t quite get it? Miller is at the bottom of the screen. Here is a zoomed in view to help identify exactly what he did.
He comes off the snap immediately looking for a block. He quickly and wisely identifies the safety as his primary assignment and does a great job of getting the inside position to drive the defender in the direction away from where the ball is going. With additional good blocks from the offensive line, the running back walks into the end zone from 15 yards out completely untouched. A ton of that was because Miller erased the safety from the play.
Block #2 vs. Southern Illinois
What’s great about this play is it’s at the end of a long drive. The offense just came off a penalty that negated a touchdown. They needed to punch it in to secure the victory. Miller, like the dog he is, made sure not to let the previous play affect this one.
Miller is lined up in the slot here. The first thing that jumps out is how fast he gets off the snap. The quarterback hasn’t even made his turn to hand off before he throws his body into the block. This causes a delay in the linebacker reacting to the play. Had Miller not impeded him it’s likely he fills the lane and prevents the touchdown. Instead, the back once again goes in untouched thanks to a timely and well-executed block.
The common saying in football is the difference between an 8-yard run and an 80-yard run is whether the receivers do their jobs as blockers. Not all of them embrace this philosophy. They’re focused more on getting their catches so they can look good for the cameras and fill up those stat sheets. Miller has shown many times that those things don’t always win football games.
Walter Payton was the same way. People remember his running but they so often forget how good of a blocker he was.
There’s no doubt that Payton would be a huge fan of Miller from the outset. He’d see plenty of himself in the young receiver. Not the biggest, strong, or fastest for sure but talented enough mixed with a tireless work ethic and gladiator mentality on the field. That will to do whatever it takes to win. This is why Bears fans should be thrilled the Bears traded up to get this kid.
