Tampa Bay Buccanneers WR Scotty Miller has been a non-factor for the team during the 2021 season, but that is about to change.
Due to both a previous logjam within Tampa Bay’s receiving corps AND a severe toe injury suffered during a week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Miller had only played in five games and 60 offensive snaps over the first 14 weeks of action. But with wideouts Chris Godwin (torn ACL, out for season) and Mike Evans (hamstring, day-to-day) sustaining injuries in Sunday night’s 9-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Buccaneers will likely need to rely on a wider array of pass catchers moving forward.
That reliance was on display instantaneously Sunday, as Miller played a career high 58 offensive snaps while securing two receptions (three targets) for 18 yards. Those numbers may seem underwhelming when juxtaposed against his snap count, but it is important to note that the Tampa Bay offense as a whole struggled mightily against the Saints.
Miller’s 58 snaps trailed only Tyler Johnson (70 snaps) among Bucs wideouts on the day, with Jaelon Darden (41 snaps) representing the third receiving option, post-injury.
In addition to Godwin and Evans exiting the game, Tampa Bay also lost RB Leonard Fournette to a hamstring injury Sunday evening and will need to replace his production as both a ball carrier and receiver in the meantime. Fournette’s 69 receptions on the season weren’t just nice, but were also good for second on the team–trailing only Chris Godwin’s 98 catches.
So what does all of this mean for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense in the upcoming weeks?
There Will Be Passes To Go Around
The newly-injured trio of Godwin, Evans, and Fournette has accounted for 231 catches this season–good for 16.5 catches per game, or more than 56% of all the Buccaneers 2021 receptions. While it is uncertain how long Evans will be out, the Buccaneers will be without Godwin for the rest of the season and Fournette for likely at least a game. While the impending Week 16 return of Antonio Brown should provide some relief, there will need to be some new contributors to the Tampa Bay offense. Those contributions from Miller, Johnson, Darden, or even Breshad Perriman have yet to be seen–but the opportunity is surely presenting itself.
Having already placed RB Gio Bernard on the IR last week before Fournette’s injury, the Bucs will likely be relying on the pass game a bit more heavily in the upcoming weeks with Ronald Jones Jr. set to be the only experienced back on the roster. This means that the likelihood of more 3, 4, and 5 receiver sets increases, and then EVERY active receiver on the roster will have the opportunity to prove themselves.
Godwin alone had 25 catches for for 248 yards over the two-game stretch preceding his ACL injury, often using his elite off-the-line speed to pick up short-yardage gains in bursts and keep the high-speed Bucs offense chugging. But he also lured the defense into biting over-excitedly on crossing routes and then using that same speed to get behind the defense for bigger plays. That is precisely where Scotty Miller could find his value within the offense.
Obviously nobody is expecting Miller to put together 25 catches over two games, but there is no denying that Miller has the speed capable of mimicking certain parts of Godwin’s short-yardage game.
Miller Showed a Proven Rapport With Brady in 2020
Despite 2020 being just last year, many people have forgotten just how valuable Scotty Miller was to the Buccaneers last season before the Antonio Brown signing. Overall, Miller finished the season with 33 catches for 501 yards–impressive numbers for the second-year pro drafted in the 6th round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Bowling Green.
But it was Miller’s impact in the games before Brown joined the team that needs to be revisited and appreciated.
In the seven games Miller played without Brown on the roster, he tallied 25 catches for 400 yards–good for an average of 3.6 receptions and 57 yards per game (along with two touchdowns).
While Miller will face a slight overlap in his route tree with Mr. Big Chest returning in week 16, if the time opportunity for Miller to return to his 2020 levels of production was ever to arrive–that moment is now.
One way for Miller to provide value right away is with his ability to convert first downs when needed. Of his 33 receptions in 2020, 20 went for first downs. He repeatedly showed an ability to beat linebackers and corners to spots in the middle of the field while also avoiding big hits. That being said, for all the excitement about his bursts of speed, Miller’s ability to take repeated hits early in his young career has limited a lot of his every-down potential. As long as he shows Brady that he is willing to put his body on the line to fight for yardage, he will likely once again have the QB’s trust–much like he did early last season.
It isn’t only short-yardage first down markers that Miller is adept at reaching, either.
Miller Might Be a Diminutive 5’9, But He Has a Penchant For Big Plays
Scotty Miller had 35+ yard receptions in 4 of the 7 games he played in 2020 before Tampa Bay signed Antonio Brown. That isn’t just merely a coincidence.
One of the main takeaways by scouts during Miller’s college career was his ability to operate at all three levels of the field from the slot–especially against out-matched athletes. While he won’t be able to go up and get deep balls against defenders like Mike Evans does, Miller’s ability to get behind corners will provide a similar big play threat for Brady if Evans is forced to miss any upcoming action. This versatility as both an underneath piece and a downfield option will also be invaluable in opening up space for the Bucs’ other receivers. If Miller is able to force the defense to gameplan for his speed in any way whatsoever, the potential for Brown, Johnson, Perriman, and Darden to find favorable matchups within zone defenses increases substantially.
It has yet to be seen if Miller’s toe injury depleted his big-play ability at all, but the Buccaneers’ week 16 matchup against the Carolina Panthers should be quite revealing in that regard. Carolina ranks 2nd-best in the NFL this season, allowing just 178.8 passing yards per game. Additionally, the Panthers have given up just five completions of 40+ yards this season–good for 6th in the league. If Miller is looking for an opportunity to prove that his toe is completely healed and his speed remains, beating the Panthers highly-ranked pass defense seems like the perfect time to do so.
It All Starts With Brady, But Miller Will Be In The Middle Of It All With Tom
At first glance this sub-heading may seem like a deep, philosophical take on the importance of all-around team play from the Buccaneers moving. But really, it is just something slightly amusing discovered while researching Scotty Miller.
Everyone knows Tom Brady’s name. He has won seven Super Bowls, he has a beautiful wife, and he has one hell of an arm–whether it is throwing touchdowns or tablets. In fact, a fair amount of people probably even know his full name: Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.
Some people know Scotty Miller’s name. He has won one Super Bowl, he has a beautiful wife, and he has two pretty-solid arms. But it is unlikely that many people know his full name: Scotty Thomas Miller.
That’s correct; Scotty Miller shares a middle name-first name connection with Brady that might be at least a little responsible for their previous rapport. Even if it isn’t enough to explain that connection, though, it is definitely enough to include at the bottom of this article as a possibility. After all, Miller is the only one out of Perriman, Johnson, and Darden that even has a middle name that can be found through a basic search.
Could this mean that Miller has the inside track to a Brady connection?
We’ll just have to wait until the Buccaneers week 16 matchup against the Panthers to find out.
(Featured image by Doug Murray/Associated Press)