Scotty Miller Return May Be Part Of Jason Licht’s “Long Game” Plan
October 9th, 2022
“Scooter, we did it again!”
It’s another chapter in the Scotty Miller story, inactive last week and a key part of the offense today in the Bucs’ spanking of Atlanta.
But the story goes deeper.
The football gods shined a light on Miller early this week when Cole Beasley surprised the Bucs and retired.
“I guess when you’re a veteran player and you’ve been in the league 10 years you kind of know when it’s time,” general manager Jason Licht said of Beasley today on the Buccaneers Radio Network pregame show.
That opened an opportunity for Miller, and then he got another one when Julio Jones practiced all week but sat out today after testing his knee before the game.
Licht said Julio sitting is more about January than October.
“We’re playing the long game here a little bit,” Licht said, adding the team is very focused on having receiver bodies healthy late in the season.
So in came Miller today, catching balls over the middle and getting open deep, though Tom Brady underthrew him and the zebras didn’t call a clear pass interference on the play. And then late in the fourth quarter the refs again didn’t call an obvious PI penalty Miller drew.
Miller finished with 4 catches for 35 yards. But more important, Miller looked like a competent guy who can be a No. 4 receiver while Julio heals. The longer Miller can contribute, the longer Julio can take to heal.
Update: On Monday, Todd Bowles confirmed Licht’s long-game approach with Jones: “Just like Jason said, we want him fully healthy, not coming out for a week and then missing another couple of weeks. We think we’ve got enough guys right now to weather that storm.”
October 9th, 2022 at 4:10 pm
Miller is fine, so long as he’s a #4 or #5 WR, just don’t make him a #2 or #3.
That’s really really important. It’s like Humphries, as a #4 he was great, as a #3, he was mediocre, as a #2, he killed the offense.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:13 pm
Drubbing?
October 9th, 2022 at 4:14 pm
Lol they thinking about January but I don’t see this team going into January especially with this schedule
October 9th, 2022 at 4:17 pm
Great, Tom has weapons. He’s going to need them when your defense gives up 339 yards on the ground in 8 quarters
October 9th, 2022 at 4:19 pm
Drubbing?
Are you kidding me?
October 9th, 2022 at 4:21 pm
Isn’t Julio ALWAYS healing these days?
October 9th, 2022 at 4:22 pm
Miller is fine for a 4th option when he’s line up against a backup.
But he’s blown off the ball by a light breeze. Can’t count on refs calling PI, even when it’s blatant. He’s a 2 trick pony that can’t handle contact. It is what it is. I’m more disappointed in Gage to be honest. Terrible hands.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:24 pm
That made 3 consecutive fly routes in which Brady under threw Miller. Perhaps it’s nitpicking, but he has to see that sooner if he can’t get any more air under it.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:26 pm
@Joes
I CANNOT BELEIVE you guys think this offense is “fixed”! Wow its like we watched 2 different games today. I saw, brick hands, timing issues, bad routes run, still Brady has NO chemistry with anyone outside of Evans and Godwin. Gage has been a bust (30 mil?! really?!) Luke Geodeke is still bad and shows no signs of improving,
You’re watching a different game. –Joe
I have no idea why scotty miller is still on this team. Jaelon Darlen is trash. Julio should retire cause he cannot stay healthy and i am still not sure what to make of this defense. They played ok until the end. And the playcalling on those last two offensive drives was AWFUL!!! I am very concerned and THIS IS NOT A SB TEAM!
October 9th, 2022 at 4:28 pm
Miller could have some nice numbers today if Brady wouldn’t have underthrown him TWICE on deep routes….
And BOTH of those plays were defensive PI and non were called….
Let’s add the Marshonne Lattimore non-call on defensive PI for Miller that ultimately caused that big fight where Evans got ejected…
Do these POS officials even know what DPI is anymore…:
Getting sick & tired of no-calls happening against Miller.
It’s PATHETIC….
And to Tom Brady, learn how to throw a deeper ball cuz Miller has been open!!!
Miller played great today…
October 9th, 2022 at 4:28 pm
@Joes
“It’s another chapter in the Scotty Miller story, inactive last week and a key part of the offense today in the Bucs’ spanking of Atlanta.”
Ummmm SPANKING?! I think you both have had too many Big Storm beers already lol.
Hey man, you trail 21-0 in the fourth quarter, and you got spanked. Would call it that way the other way around, too.–Joe
October 9th, 2022 at 4:29 pm
It would help if he could get a flag for being mugged.
Twice today defenders beat the crud out of him and didn’t get flagged.
He actually showed a new trick, though, the slot seems to work for him because it can be a fake.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:30 pm
I get trying to keep Julio healthy but the Bucs may not make it to the playoffs if they don’t play better than they did today. In the first half the offense looked like a machine, but in the second half (particularly the forth quarter) the offense was terrible. Brady has absolutely no rapport with Gage and our offensive line seemed to sag a little bit late. Our defense absolutely blows right now so the offense better find a way to put up 30 a game.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:31 pm
But Jalame Dardung! But but Tom loves him! But – fumble a punt on your own 9. Idiot could have cost the Bucs the game.
Jalame Dardung. Worse than Dexter Jackson the 2nd.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:38 pm
darden has to be the chosen one…tompkins should take his place..
October 9th, 2022 at 4:42 pm
Julio is more about January? So he stays sharp till then even though he doesn’t play? Practice and real games are different animals.
October 9th, 2022 at 4:49 pm
If they don’t play better, they’re one and done…….if they didn’t get that roughing call on Brady, it would have been veeerrryyyyy interesting in the final minutes..
October 9th, 2022 at 4:50 pm
I do not think that was DPI on the Scotty play, Brady under threw him and Scoot runs to close to the sideline to soon, the DB has the right to make a play
October 9th, 2022 at 4:52 pm
Your version of a drubbing is vastly different then mine.
October 9th, 2022 at 5:20 pm
Rrrsq, the first of the two you are correct, the second one was a complete mugging with the ball in the air, the defender with his back to the ball, and Scotty still in bounds. Without the contact, who’s to say Scotty goes out of bounds. NO WAY that was not PI.
October 9th, 2022 at 5:31 pm
Props to the Falcons. They made a game of it. Art Smith is a fine coach. He has his team playing with great emotion. Refs made questionable call on late roughing of Brady. I believe it was the right call, but it could have been a no call. The two no calls involving Miller were definitely questionable. Buccaneers put the brakes on too early and couldn’t get going again. When you look at the stats you’d think the Buccaneers won by three touchdowns. Run defense is really vulnerable. NFL football has become a game of attrition.
October 9th, 2022 at 5:32 pm
Hey glue chill. You are 100% right.
Scotty Miller: Garbage
In our California home we call him Julian. ( Julio)
“ NO He won’t be ready later on.”
Watch Devin White on ice skates.( get off blocks please)
Is it us in California or every time one of our players.,
Touch the grass I think it’s going too be an injury.
Todd Bowels = Mike Brown
Phil Jackson= Bruce Arians
October 9th, 2022 at 5:33 pm
Yeah, that 2nd one was about as clear of a PI call as it gets. You tackle the WR and don’t get your head around to play the ball, all before the ball got there. Absolute BS on that one.
October 9th, 2022 at 5:33 pm
No way this team makes past the divisional.
😂 Tip Toe Lenny
October 9th, 2022 at 5:36 pm
PLEASE WATCH TIP TOE hit the line of scrimmage.
Chain length for a first down. Not the first time.
What In the hell did Vaughn do?
October 9th, 2022 at 5:45 pm
The roughing call was a make up for not call PI that Miller drew. They throw the flag early and we’re in FG range and maybe get the clinching TD. We backed off at 21-0 and let ATL back in the game. Lucky to pull it out.
October 9th, 2022 at 5:46 pm
Refs missed that pti on miller but made up for it on the very next play with that roughing the passer
October 9th, 2022 at 5:49 pm
Daryl Green Says:
October 9th, 2022 at 5:36 pm
PLEASE WATCH TIP TOE hit the line of scrimmage.
Chain length for a first down. Not the first time.
What In the hell did Vaughn do?
^^^^^^^
Do you think, because of that one play (which I think he got a first down on) that Lenny had a bad game? Did you actually watch the game and think Lenny was subpar? The nitpickers are gonna nitpick.
October 9th, 2022 at 5:52 pm
How is Byron not getting torched in every single post? The second he took back control of the O (they were running up tempo with 12 in charge successfully) we poopied the gridiron.
October 9th, 2022 at 6:07 pm
Absolutely horrible call with roughing the passer. Are all these officials on Delta 8’s ? Love my team last 40+ years but Dat s**t ridiculous. He bonked his head a bit. Tackle was good. Arecwe padding stats late in the game ? Run the darn ball. R White was crushing along with Lombardi Lenny. Drain the fing clock. I’m not hiring Leftwich as my head coach. And you better shape up real quick Bowles. This defense takes too many plays off. Ok
October 9th, 2022 at 6:28 pm
The DardOn is the one who didn’t do anything except almost lose the game.
October 9th, 2022 at 7:58 pm
Hugely encouraging first half with vintage-Brady of the long-drive, “movin’ the chains” game control (without the “de-brucing” this year, that style would not have been available for Brady this year) thing is with that, “ya hafta” do it in the second half, too.
Out of market game meant I could only listen to the game but, without that short span of “3 n’ out” three times in row,
there’d be a positive tone to the after-game discussion.
What happened?!
In the first half Brady had successful first-down opportunities all over the place. Did the remaining
coaching of this year actually call-for a “protect-the-lead pull-back with, hello, almost half the game left to play?
It’s gutta be the play calling from the sidelines. It couldn’t have been Brady who was responsible in the second half, imo.
October 9th, 2022 at 8:12 pm
Speaking of Hump he is a free agent
October 9th, 2022 at 8:50 pm
I’ve been telling yall this since 2020 that Brady needs a all star cast on offense just to look like a average to a sliteley above average quarterback at his age. But he did ok today for his age but they can’t keep trying to put a all star team on offense and now yall are seeing the results of that.
October 9th, 2022 at 9:10 pm
Miller is a limited receiver, one of several wastes of roster spots, on a roster that needs help. His deep threat potential does not make up for his lack of a routes.
As others say, sure, keep him if he’s a #5 on a deep roster full of complete players, but don’t annoint him anything more. Trade him.
October 9th, 2022 at 10:18 pm
Oneilbuc Says:
October 9th, 2022 at 8:50 pm
I’ve been telling yall this since 2020 that Brady needs a all star cast on offense just to look like a average to a sliteley above average quarterback at his age. But he did ok today for his age but they can’t keep trying to put a all star team on offense and now yall are seeing the results of that.
^^^^^^^^^
The Bucs are 32-12 (72.7% winning percentage), including playoffs, with 1 Super Bowl win, since Brady’s been a Buc. WTF are you talking about?
October 9th, 2022 at 11:40 pm
Where does Darden fit in with the “long game”? I saw him in the huddle on multiple occasions, but he was never targeted. And don’t tell me about special teams. There’s nothing “special” with his punt returns!
October 10th, 2022 at 1:18 pm
Offensive Play calling is predictable and boring. The playcalling is one of the worst in the NFL this year if not the worst. Defensive play calling is lacking. It picked up where it left off last year in the Playoffs with the Rams. What is going on this season? Coaching has noticeably declined this season. Have the Coaches taken Tom Brady out of the decision-making process? It seems for the first time in his career, he is a robot programmed by the coaches rather than unleashed and unfettered at the line of scrimmage. The play calling this week has finally shown improvement over the previous four weeks. But it is still unimaginable. This is a cause for concern because when the pressure of the Playoffs starts, this type of simple-minded rigidity tends to become even more rigid and mundane. The defensive side has the potential to be great. But the ability to strategize and make adjustments is not to be trusted. The Offensive playcalling has a chance to improve as the season progresses, but I don’t see the Defense improving especially under stressful situations.
October 16th, 2022 at 8:52 am
An all ” new” Miller catching passes over the middle was a big surprise, For to long he has been a one trick pony. But he has bulked up a bit. And if he improves his quick cuts on routes over the middle he just might be a new asset for Brady. The short routes may set up Miller for out and up routes so defenders don’t just sit back waiting for the nothing but up routes. With his speed more variety in routes could be a career turn around, at least improving his backup role. I hope he progresses!