SB Nation Pittsburgh Editor's Pick

Heath Miller's run blocking

by acrollet on Feb 2, 2011 2:57 PM EST

One thing that's been talked about a fair bit in the past few weeks has been the improvement of the Steelers' running game, particularly against the Jets. John Harris of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review wrote an excellent article about the same, and had particular praise for Heath Miller:

"We're trying to be a physical team in every phase,'' said the soft-spoken Miller. "Obviously our defense has that reputation.''

Miller played a mean and nasty game in what was easily his most physical performance in a Steelers uniform. He, as much as anyone, helped fuel the run game.

"When you look at film, you see Heath Miller about every time driving somebody to the ground, driving them 10 yards back,'' Redman said.

During one memorable second-quarter run near the goal line, Miller didn't stop blocking Jets outside linebacker Bryan Thomas until he had deposited Thomas on his back in the end zone.

I was curious if Miller played as lights-out as advertised, so I made a cut-up of every running play from the first half of the Jets game. Without knowing the play call and blocking scheme, it's hard to say how well he did on every single play, but I think it's safe to draw the following conclusions:

He consistently played to the whistle, finishing his blocks.
The Packers aren't the only team that can run a full-house backfield out and make good plays.
Heath was downright beastly on many plays, with his man ending up flat on his back.

I hope you all enjoy the video, if Heath plays this way on Sunday, he'll be more than doing his part to secure ring #7.

#83 AFC championship (via acrollet)

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nice work

I particularly love the play where the lazy Jets linebacker quits on the play away from the pile and Heath continues to drive him onto his keister in the end zone.

That in a nutshell ladies and gentlemen is the difference between playing football for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets.

by ManDarino on Feb 2, 2011 3:13 PM EST reply actions

thanks much

yeah, that play was pretty much the reason i wanted to make this video

"You know how football is - if your mother's on the other team and you're coming out to play football, you're gonna hit momma" --L.C. Greenwood

by acrollet on Feb 2, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

funny you mention that

the seachickens fans saw that and thought it was dirty saying

“looks like heath took a page out of hines book on that play”

"Did you really expect Joe to have it as easy as you think it would be against James "I want to stomp of your children’s testicles" Harrison and Lamar "I’ll kick your grandmother" Woodley? I sure as hell didn’t." - Malor

by tannofsteel84 on Feb 2, 2011 11:27 PM EST up reply actions

Not again... Where are they?

Oh, right outside my office door.. LOL

The Hines Ward of playing till the whistle blows.. Shame on those Steelers.

by RobertM on Feb 3, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions

Thanks acrollet! If you don’t mind me asking… what software did you use to make this video?

by k7brown on Feb 2, 2011 3:47 PM EST reply actions

i used imovie…

"You know how football is - if your mother's on the other team and you're coming out to play football, you're gonna hit momma" --L.C. Greenwood

by acrollet on Feb 2, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

Love the disclaimer at the end.

Also on more than a few plays, Mendy cut right behind Heaths block to pick up extra yards.

If you buy a foreign made product you give money to a person who will not be buying an American made product that you get paid to make. Think about it next time you're at the store.

by SNW on Feb 2, 2011 3:52 PM EST reply actions

well done acrollet

He’s not a perfect blocker but I expect if you look at Dallas Clark or Antonio Gates you’re not going to see that same dedication to the craft.

by Chicago Steeler on Feb 2, 2011 5:11 PM EST reply actions

thanks man

I expect you’re right, though I don’t watch those guys a whole lot.

"You know how football is - if your mother's on the other team and you're coming out to play football, you're gonna hit momma" --L.C. Greenwood

by acrollet on Feb 2, 2011 8:07 PM EST up reply actions

Thank you for doing that

I was impressed by the Redman runs. That may not have surprised you.
: )

"The only way to stop Jim Brown was to give him a movie contract." -- Spider Lockhart

by alfresco on Feb 2, 2011 5:37 PM EST reply actions

can't say it's a surprise, no :)

I do have to say, redman is realllly good after contact, maybe as good or better than mendy – he doesn’t have that 5th gear that mendenhall does, though…

"You know how football is - if your mother's on the other team and you're coming out to play football, you're gonna hit momma" --L.C. Greenwood

by acrollet on Feb 2, 2011 8:08 PM EST up reply actions

no as fast

but I think he makes them pay more between having to bring him down and all the extra time the rest of the O gets to lay the lumber on the defence. I like the variety he brings (along with the blocking and the receiving).

"I don't mind being a symbol but I don't want to become a monument. There are monuments all over the Parliament Buildings and I've seen what the pigeons do to them."

"Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it. Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it's doing in the Maritimes."

Tommy Douglas

by Cold_Old_Steelers_Fan on Feb 2, 2011 11:35 PM EST up reply actions

3:41

or so Redman makes a nice horizontal move, makes a guy miss, and picks up like 6 more yards.

by stylepoints on Feb 3, 2011 10:23 AM EST up reply actions

MIller and Ward have also been great bodyguards for Ben...

….with a patchwork line, it must be extremely comforting for Ben to know that Ward or MIller can be in the backfield, protecting Scott to the outside with a chip block.

Those who point to their reception numbers going down must understand that the Young Money Trio are getting the ball a lot more, and Ben is getting sacked a lot less because these two All-Pro receivers are staying home to block more than they did last year.

I would kill everyone in this room for a drop of sweet beer.
- Homer J. Simpson

by Homer J. on Feb 2, 2011 8:04 PM EST reply actions

I really appreciate

the Steeler attitude of self-sacrifice – give yourself up to get more. Heath, Hines (and now Hines’ acolyte, Manny Sanders) could have better numbers, but they do exactly as they’re asked, exactly as the play is diagrammed, and often more.

They aren’t the only ones, but they do it best.

My heros have always been Steelers...

by wozzle on Feb 3, 2011 12:27 PM EST up reply actions

great post Rollet

I stopped the video halfway to comment real quick.
Miller set the tempo early. On that first play Miller blocked his guy to the whistle and didnt give up, going 100 percent. It flustered the Jet defender. The TD run was great blocking in his part.
Now the 2nd drive where the Steelers come out in a full backfield, I also have to comment on Spaeth’s blocking. He has improved his blocking. Mendy runs towards that direction and has a big hole thanks to Johnson and Spaeth

"Franco made that play because he never quit on the play. He kept running, he kept hustling. Good things happen to people who hustle."

by PCISteeler on Feb 2, 2011 8:25 PM EST reply actions

good stuff

Jets fans sure did blow off the fact we didn’t have him in the first meeting.

"How utterly ridiculous is it that James Harrison makes a football act and gets fined $75,000, and Richard Seymour, despite whatever happened to provoke him, slugs a player on national TV in full view of the cameras and knocks him to the ground -- and gets fined $25,000. Weak. Very weak." -Peter King

by count'em_six on Feb 2, 2011 8:30 PM EST reply actions

Thanks for reminding me, they did.

And if IIRC, Heath also caught an important pass on the 4Q game ending drive before the Brown catch put it away.

by NCSteeler on Feb 3, 2011 5:13 PM EST up reply actions

I'm a UVA fan

and although we haven’t had much to cheer about over the past decade or two (or three), I was fortunate enough to watch almost every home game Heath played at Virginia. I was always so impressed with this guy, he’s tough as nails and he has as good a set of hands as any tight end I’ve personally ever had the pleasure to watch. I knew he’d go high in the draft and never thought he’d still be on the board when the Steelers pick rolled around. Needless to say I lost my mind (in a good way) when the Steelers got him, and I’ve been enjoying every moment of his NFL career thus far. He’s a true Steeler, he has the right work ethic and physical mentality. I can’t praise him enough for his consistent play, Steeler Nation is lucky to have him.

"I don't want to see anyone injured, but I'm not opposed to hurting anyone" - James Harrison

by LifelongSteelerFanInVa on Feb 2, 2011 9:08 PM EST reply actions

GREAT POST!!!!!!

by acerero on Feb 2, 2011 9:37 PM EST reply actions

Complete TE

Miller is one of the best all-around TEs in the game today. I don’t think people give him enough credit for his run blocking. I actually had a debate with Steeler fans who don’t think he is in the top ten TEs in the NFL. I’m not sure what games they watch. Nice job.

Proud fan of Pittsburgh's professional sports teams and the Pirates too.

by Black&GoldTrain on Feb 3, 2011 12:38 AM EST reply actions

Great stuff - great video

My favorite play by far is a first and ten on the first drive. Heath engages his guy at 40 yard line, then drives him back to the 47 before depositing him on his behind. It looks at the start like a meaningless block because big juicy trips in the backfield and Rashard has to figure out how to circumvent his enormous out-stretched body. Somehow he does and he run right up the middle for 10 yards sliding past Heath’s guy in to the heart of the Jets secondary.

beautiful stuff! Rec’d

by SteelerBuddha on Feb 3, 2011 9:40 AM EST reply actions

thanks for the rec! means a lot coming from you… I loved the block you’re talking about as well, pretty sure that was brodney pool (#22) – seems like heath was throwing him on his back every 3rd run play or so!

"You know how football is - if your mother's on the other team and you're coming out to play football, you're gonna hit momma" --L.C. Greenwood

by acrollet on Feb 3, 2011 10:16 AM EST up reply actions

the techno is okay

but I was hoping for a horn accompaniment.

Nice video.

by stylepoints on Feb 3, 2011 10:25 AM EST reply actions

heh

i thought about a lot of different things, but in the end I decided to go with something fairly non distracting…

"You know how football is - if your mother's on the other team and you're coming out to play football, you're gonna hit momma" --L.C. Greenwood

by acrollet on Feb 3, 2011 11:50 AM EST up reply actions

Maybe you can get your brother to help you out -

I would think that the opening of the Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings would be just right for a montage of, say, Ryan Clark highlights : )

"If you're not getting better, I don't care what business you're in, you're a dead man. I try to look critically at the mistakes that I make and try to learn from them, like our team does." - Mike Tomlin

by Rebecca Rollett on Feb 3, 2011 2:05 PM EST up reply actions

rec

great work on the video, now I’m pumped, thanks. I hope we cram the ball down GB’s cramhole this weekend.

"We didn't worry about the calls," Harrison said. "When you're getting a lot of penalties against you, it brings you together."

by kick him in the head on Feb 3, 2011 12:53 PM EST reply actions

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/word-muth/2011/word-muth-super-bowl-big-men

by 57_Varieties on Feb 5, 2011 8:13 AM EST reply actions

also...

Video is wonderful, much appreciated.
I live in NYC, and the local media were raving about Heath after the Jets game, amid the usual whining about not winning.

by 57_Varieties on Feb 5, 2011 8:51 AM EST reply actions