Paging Scotty Miller
January 7th, 2022
All but vanished.
Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians always likes to say when players are hurt, sick or have gone full-blown mental and are tossed off the pirate ship, it’s next man up.
The Bucs have crawled across the finish line of the 2021 season largely on this motto, decimated by injuries all year.
But last week it was telling to Joe. Chris Godwin is out for the year with a blown knee, maybe for good (he’ll be a free agent). And we know how furniture-tossing, bicycle-winging, tantrum-throwing quitter Antonio Brown melted down. He’s history.
All of a sudden, the deepest, most talented wide receiver unit in the NFL was in shambles with Mike Evans’ shaky hamstring. And when the Bucs needed help at wide receiver the most in a tight game against the lowlife Jets, the hero of last year’s NFC championship game was nowhere to be found.
Scotty Miller logged a grand total of zero snaps on offense. Not one.
Except on special teams.
That told Joe that Miller, for reasons unknown, has a penthouse in Arians’ doghouse.
Yesterday, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich was asked what’s going on with Miller. Leftwich basically said, Miller’s time will come.
“He’ll get more opportunities as we go,” Leftwich said. “He’ll have more opportunities as we go. You can’t have everybody catch it.
“Everybody can’t catch it at the same time. He’ll get more opportunities. Scotty is getting ready and making sure he’s preparing for when his number is called. He’ll be ready to make the plays.”
Hell, it isn’t about catching the ball. The guy isn’t even on the field. Typical Leftwich non-answer.
This is the same thing Arians has been saying about O.J. Howard. He’s pretty much been MIA, but compared to Miller he’s a damn starter.
In the brutal home loss to the slimy Saints, Miller played quite a bit with 58 offensive snaps logged. Since that game, he’s been on offense for a grand total of three plays, one less than he played against the Colts and Falcons.
Leftwich claimed Miller is healthy. So the only logical reason for Miller seeing the field on offense so little is that he’s regressed.
Miller only has a handful of weeks left for his time to come. Will he even get a chance to take advantage?
January 7th, 2022 at 9:38 am
Scotty was a vital cog towards lats year’s SB…………..now he’s all but forgotten on this team
………SHAME ON YOU BYRON SUCKWICH!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 7th, 2022 at 9:41 am
Not really regression as much as a lack of progression. He’s a speedster with a very limited route tree and is prone to loss of effectiveness in press-man coverage.
January 7th, 2022 at 9:44 am
if we are making a deep run…. miller, lenny and the pass rush has to return to last years level
January 7th, 2022 at 9:50 am
The addition of Perriman sealed Scotty’s fate….
As for Leftwich…..he never says anything….
“I just want to put players in a position to succeed”
“I just want players to do what they do best”
‘We’re just about winning football games”
“We just let Tom do what he do”
Find me one statement from BL all year that wasn’t stating the obvious.
January 7th, 2022 at 9:56 am
Breshard Perriman 6’2″ – 215lbs ran a 4.26, Cyril Grayson 5’9″ – 184lbs ran a 4.33. Scotty Miller 5’9″ – 174lbs ran a 4.39. If I have bigger, stronger WRs that are just as fast, it will make it diff for Scotty to play before them.
I like using 12 personnel w/ Brate and Gronk, ME and CG/BP along with Lenny. They’ll double ME and we can take advantage of running with two TEs or play action with speedy WR, Gronk mismatch, or Brate as a forgotten outlet.
Go Bucs!
January 7th, 2022 at 9:57 am
Maybe he’s not blocking very well? It’s seemed like that’s a big prerequisite on this team for receivers.
January 7th, 2022 at 9:58 am
I trust the coaches whose jobs are on the line, and who see the players every day to go with the players they most trust to get the job done. Sure we all have opinions, but they are largely based on a play or two we have seen in a game, and not the hours of tape and practice time coaches watch. How fans who never go to practices and have no coaching experience think they know better the professionals is absurd.
January 7th, 2022 at 10:10 am
I’m guessing the game film from that Saints debacle reflected very poorly on number 10
January 7th, 2022 at 10:12 am
Like a old Madden game use to say….”Speed don’t make you a receiver, you have to be able to catch the ball” – Madden
January 7th, 2022 at 10:15 am
Lol, does anyone remember Isaac Haggins?
January 7th, 2022 at 10:29 am
Beej, yes I do.
January 7th, 2022 at 10:30 am
Lol, does anyone remember Isaac Haggins?
Yes, He took 2 kickoffs for TD’s in the 1976 Preseason. And was decent but not a great receiver for the first couple of years.
GO BUICS!!!
January 7th, 2022 at 10:30 am
All of this “very limited route tree” talk.
HOW flippin’ hard is it to run a route?????
Top 1% of world athletes and can’t run but a few routes??
January 7th, 2022 at 10:31 am
They are keeping him off tape to surprise someone in the playoffs?
January 7th, 2022 at 10:31 am
Every single highlight from Miller in 2020 was a “free release” bomb that caught the opponents flat footed. He no longer can sneak up on teams. The next tackle he breaks will be his first. He’s overachieved his 6th round draft status ( poetically I believe it was the pick for trading Desean Jackson ) and anything extra at this point is gravy in my opinion.
January 7th, 2022 at 10:32 am
Probably won’t work on GB………
January 7th, 2022 at 10:34 am
For a speed merchant, his injury is very serious and extremely painful , surgery off-season is my bet .
January 7th, 2022 at 10:40 am
Maybe his turf toe lingers? Maybe his turf toe lingers AND the Bucs want to save him for the playoffs so they can present different looks to opposing defenses? Like Miller, Grayson, and BP, and maybe even Watson on the field at the same time. All speed. I have no idea, I just know BA is the greatest Bucs coach of all time and I’m sure he will figure it out.
January 7th, 2022 at 11:31 am
Brian Kelly had a turf toe and it took several seasons to get back to NFL ability
January 7th, 2022 at 11:36 am
Great insights, JBBucs06. I note that Perriman is now listed as our starting WR opposite ME.
I would think a cracked toe bone could impact an NFL career just as much as a broken leg or significant concussion. As small as the injury might appear, think about how it affects balance, route cuts and other aspects as well as speed.
Watching both OJ Howard’s and JPP’s seasons have been frustrating to watch this year. Their injuries were each dramatically different from Miller’s turf toe for sure. They have been limited in their contributions too.
January 7th, 2022 at 12:19 pm
Scotty made one great catch in GB and give credit where credits due, I hate to admit it a brilliant call by BA and a lazy GB DC and corner. I don’t know if I’d call him a cod. We’ve seen enough of Johnson that he isn’t carrying this team on his back so if Cyril or Perriman don’t step up could be a short stint.
January 7th, 2022 at 12:20 pm
Cog.
January 7th, 2022 at 1:25 pm
Trade
January 7th, 2022 at 2:17 pm
could be that he dosen’t have the size to be an effective blocker
January 7th, 2022 at 2:48 pm
Scotty Miller is not a great blocker, and struggles with press coverage. He is not gonna sneak up on anyone anymore, since there is plenty of film on him.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:32 pm
Beeej…I remember Ike Haggins ….I remember him running clean down the field heading for a certain TD …and out of his hands flies the ball….
might have even happened twice !
January 7th, 2022 at 4:52 pm
“That told Joe that Miller, for reasons unknown, has a penthouse in Arians’ doghouse.”
Funny. It tells me that we had too many options. Good issue to have.
Evans. Godwin. Gronk. Brate. And…I suppose, Brown.
That’s why Miller didn’t get the ball…that and he can’t block that well.
But he’s got decent hands that will only improve.
January 7th, 2022 at 7:17 pm
Not sure how all these injuries piled on so quickly. We still have an intact OL, so the burden falls on Brady. He is going to have to get the ball now to guys who are mediocre at best. Defense needs to step up.
January 7th, 2022 at 7:18 pm
They haven’t used Miller well this year when they’ve used him. They keep thinking he’s a quick, shifty white guy receiver – and he’s not. Miller stinks on screens, stinks trying to make plays in space, he’s a pure speed WR, and speed and quickness are not the same thing.
Miller should be out there running fly routes, maybe some deep in’s and deep outs, but Leftwich seems to think he should be making plays behind the LOS which is just dumb.
January 7th, 2022 at 9:07 pm
Leftwich is verbally challenged. That was a pile of gibberish.
January 7th, 2022 at 9:59 pm
First off all TB12 and Captain Kangaroo are not showing their Poker hand. A staple tactic in NE now few miles from hardrock the bill Belichick Art of War preperation is Sin
January 7th, 2022 at 10:03 pm
Cyril Grayson BLOCKS! Scottie is just too smurflike to get er done. Got a feeling that BA did not like seeing the Saints physical corners taking Scottie out of plays at the line of scrimmage…much less Scottie throwing ‘Ole whiff blocks downfield in front of ballcarriers.
January 7th, 2022 at 10:21 pm
Art of War tactic by BB implimentedin Tampa by TB12. Nofilm no tape no plan for DC prepare. I’m mean do we need to dig around the toolbox to beat the 4 remaining games? No so far so good. We had to start the Red B arfchetta twice as much needed acceleration. BP walkoff and Sugar free AB CG15 without the calories. Fresh O.J. Filet Leveon and Miller Time and a fine glass Cabernet Perriman
January 7th, 2022 at 10:32 pm
Art of War tactic by BB implimentedin Tampa by TB12. Nofilm no tape no plan for DC prepare. I’m mean do we need to dig around the toolbox to beat the 4 remaining games? No so far so good. We had to start the Red B arfchetta twice as much needed acceleration. BP walkoff and Sugar free AB CG15 without the calories. Fresh O.J. Filet Leveon and Miller Time and a fine glass Cabernet Perriman. will all be served in the postseason and continue behind the Bird’s of Paradise at One Buc Place. Strategy and surprise attack as hot as the Florida Sun
January 8th, 2022 at 11:14 am
Miller is a fast guy, he just doesn’t have the “arse” to not get shoved off his route at the beginning or during a route. What is Miller 180 pounds 5’4″ or 5’5″? He has so so okay hands and his routes are not as crisp as they could be because he gets bumped and it occasionally takes him out of and off his route. Was a Perriman fan on his first swing thru Tampa hoping to see him get more opportunity and he continues to play well.
Go!!! BUCS!!!!!!
January 8th, 2022 at 11:20 am
HEY!!! Morning Son, You don’t dis the Cap’n! Captain Kangaroo was and still is a hero of mine. We could use more children’s TV like his show. He did need a haircut, not because his hair was long because it looked like a mop on his head. RIP Cap’n
January 8th, 2022 at 7:06 pm
They need to call Fitzgerald