Oakland Raiders: Brewing a better Miller

Brewing a better Miller

Miller is an aggressive player and wants to take the action to the defender. This quality is what makes him great at run blocking. It is this same quality that is hurting him in pass protection. Pass protection for a tackle requires a patient aggression. One has to let the opponent decide when to strike. But when he does, the tackle needs to control the engagement.

Miller wants to take the action to the defender. Thus, instead of dropping straight back, he steps out with his drops. Dropping at a sixty degree angle drives Miller closer to the defender. The result is a quicker engagement time and less time for Miller to set and prepare for the attack.

In this situation, the defender gets the advantage because he can take the action to the lineman on his terms. Miller is then forced to play the reactionary game which never ends well for offensive linemen.

A straight drop will increase the time before engagement. It will allow Miller the change to set before engaging the defender. This will give him the advantage to take the action to the defender. He can set the terms of the engagement. But it takes a little patience.

He also needs to drop with this shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. Miller will turn his shoulders to the defender when dropping. This gives the defender a few options. It gives him a clean palate on which to put his hands and make moves. It also allows the defender to use the linemen’s momentum against him.

Worse, it leaves Miller susceptible to the inside move. Giving up inside moves is how quarterbacks get hurt. Myles Garrett took advantage of this in the fourth quarter and overtime last week. Raiders fans should count their blessings his fourth quarter sack wasn’t called a fumble, otherwise Miller’s giving up the inside may have lost the game.

Dropping shoulder’s square to the line of scrimmage allows Miller to protect against the speed rush, bull rush and inside counter. By turning his shoulders, he is opening himself to the defender to take advantage of a speed rush. The bull rush is there when his feet are not set. The inside move is opened when the shoulders are turned.

Miller has been moderately successful so far. But should he refine his technique, he has the physical gifts to be become one of the league’s best. The question is how long it will take to fix the technique. And how many hits will quarterbacks take before he figures it out.

Hopefully he figures it out before he costs the Raiders a game. The Raiders are lucky it has not  already.