Matt Canada’s offense with the Pittsburgh Steelers had numerous issues, but one of the biggest critiques fans had of him was the lack of deep passes. Some of that could have been blamed on the Steelers’ personnel with a poor offensive line and quarterbacks with lackluster arm strength not being conducive to a deep passing attack.
That doesn’t excuse the offense for being so miserable, relying on short, quick throws too often. That should change this year, and although Arthur Smith’s offense focuses on running the football, the Steelers’ new quarterbacks should present a far more diverse skill set. One new Steelers wide receiver seems to believe so at least.
Scotty Miller signed with the Steelers this offseason, previously playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons. Miller was part of the Bucs’ squad led by Tom Brady that won the Super Bowl in 2020, so not only does he know what a championship-caliber team looks like, he also has firsthand experience with a great quarterback. Recently appearing on Green Light with Chris Long, Miller spoke about his first impressions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
“[Wilson] is a super hard worker. He’s known for that deep ball,” Miller said. “You see him with [Tyler] Lockett, with DK [Metcalf], over and over again. First day when we came to work and we were throwing deep balls, I was just like, ‘Wow, this is amazing.’ He floats it so high up in the air and every time it just falls right in the breadbasket. For a guy like me, you couldn’t ask for anything more.
“Also, Justin has a great deep ball. Can make plays outside of the pocket. So, you kind of have the best of both worlds there.”
Miller knows the difference between a good and bad deep ball, so his opinion here matters quite a bit. With Brady, who somehow still had incredible arm strength in 2020, Miller had his best season, averaging over 15 yards per catch. Conversely, Miller had one of his worst seasons with the Falcons last year. His quarterbacks were Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke, two players who aren’t nearly what Brady was.
That isn’t to say Wilson or Fields will be Brady, but they may have similar success throwing deep to players like Miller. Last year, both of them were effective in that area, despite struggling overall. Wilson in particular has always had one of the NFL’s best deep balls, with his high-arching rainbow passes being a calling card no matter where he is. The Steelers may be lacking at receiver right now, but Wilson could have the ability to elevate Miller and others by working to their strengths.
The Steelers need to have a successful offensive season this year after making so many changes this offseason. They upgraded at offensive coordinator, offensive line, and quarterback, so they should see improvements. The only spot that could cause them issues is receiver, and a player like Miller, who has made his name being an above-average deep threat, could be a sparkplug for that room. Either way, whether the starting quarterback is Wilson or Fields, it seems the Steelers should have more explosive plays this year than they did under Canada.
