Chicago Bears: Zach Miller Facing A Lot of Pressure
By David Mamola
With Pro Bowler Martellus Bennett now in New England, Chicago Bears’ tight end Zach Miller is under a lot of pressure to produce…and stay healthy.
When the Chicago Bears traded Martellus Bennett to the New England Patriots, gained was a draft pick (a fourth-rounder), yet lost was one of the most productive ends in Chicago’s illustrious franchise history.
Bennett was, in his own words, a “Black Unicorn”, whose freakish ability on the football field was matched (or surpassed) by his uncanny personality off of it. He ruffled a few feathers in his brief three-year Bears’ career, yet his production on the field oftentimes outweighed any “trouble” he may have created, and because of this, he was seen by fans and coaches alike as one of the key contributors to the Bears’ offense.
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Things changed, however, last year, as new head coach John Fox’s “no-nonsense” approach had no place for Bennett. What Bennett may have gotten away with under the old Marc Trestman regime was not tolerated at all under Fox, and it was clear well before he was traded that Bennett no longer had a spot on the roster.
His departure left a major hole at the tight end position. It’s not an easy thing to do to replace his 69 receptions and 704 yards he averaged per season in a Bears’ uniform, but that’s exactly what offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and the Bears will be trying to do.
Veteran tight end Zach Miller, 32, gets the first crack at filling Bennett’s shoes. He greatly exceeded expectations last season when he played in 15 games and hauled in 34 receptions for 439 yards and five touchdowns, but, as with any player, there are some drawbacks to Miller, most notably his injury history.
Miller was limited to just 33 games over the course of his first six NFL seasons. When he caught his first pass of 2015 on September 20th, it came an incredible four years after his last reception in the NFL (2011 with Jacksonville). Staying healthy has clearly been Miller’s Achilles heel, and that’s why it was such a surprise that he only missed one game last year.
Miller started 2015 as a backup to Bennett, but when the latter was forced to miss time due to injury, Miller took over the starting gig and never looked back.
In front of a national TV audience on Monday Night Football in Week 9, Miller absolutely shined. He caught only two passes, but one was an incredible 25-yard, one-handed touchdown that sent commentators Mike Tirico and Jon Gruden (plus millions of other viewers at home) into a tizzy.
A week later, Miller went on to star in a Chicago victory over the Rams, hauling in five passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns. In Weeks 14 through 16 (as a starter), Miller averaged six receptions and 70.3 yards per game.
Miller is an excellent athlete who possesses good size and speed. While he’s more of a pass catcher than blocker, Miller showed last season that he can hold his own against defensive linemen and linebackers. He’s also regarded as being a terrific leader and locker room voice, and already has established himself as a fan favorite in Chicago.
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Resigned to a two-year, $5.5 million deal (via Spotrac) this offseason, Miller is now seen as “the guy” at tight end. He won’t necessarily have duplicate Bennett’s on-field production (especially with a healthy Kevin White now in the fold), but he’ll have to become a friendly target for quarterback Jay Cutler and contribute regularly in the red zone and on third down.