The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the ball at the 39-yard line, leading Green Bay 14-10 with eight seconds remaining before halftime of the 2021 NFC Championship game.
Without any timeouts, they faced a decision: Attempt a long field goal, try a quick pass to the sideline to set up an easier kick, or go for the end zone. The team took the third option. Speedster Scotty Miller blew by cornerback Kevin King down the sideline, catching a touchdown from Tom Brady that wound up the difference in the Bucs’ 31-16 victory that earned their Super Bowl berth.
Miller had one of the great catches in franchise history – but he didn’t have many more afterward. The 5-foot-9, 174-pound Miller caught only 28 passes over the past two seasons. In 2021, he was injured and knocked down the depth chart. In 2022, his role was further diminished after the Bucs acquired a pair of former Falcons, Julio Jones and Russell Gage.
So Miller hit free agency this offseason seeking the chance to again alter games with his speed. He landed in Atlanta, where he brings a needed speed element to a receiving group.
“Mentally, the last couple years were really rough for me,” Miller said. “I had a pretty good year, personally, the year we won the Super Bowl. Then after that, just a lot of stuff went down. It was kind of hard for me to get back on the field, get rolling.
“So I’m just excited. Fresh start, new opportunity. I’m just trying to take advantage of it, work as hard as I can every day to give myself the best opportunity to get back out there on the field and be able to make plays.”
The Falcons have receiver snaps up for grabs beyond Drake London, so Miller certainly could earn a role. Among others on the depth chart: Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, Frank Darby and Penny Hart. Not an imposing group.
Quarterback Desmond Ridder is the central figure of the Falcons’ offseason. He’s trying to show the franchise he’s the long-term quarterback. The Falcons have positioned him for success with players such as London, tight end Kyle Pitts and running back Bijan Robinson, along with a solid offensive line.
But the “other” players can make the difference. Someone like Miller is well-positioned to establish himself. His speed alone is a notable asset.
“Scotty, he’s an instinctive player,” coach Arthur Smith said. “We know him pretty well having been in our division. He’s fast. His speed, you can feel it, even this time of year. His speed is real.”
Miller provides versatility, too. He’s sometimes (and wrongfully) viewed as a slot receiver, and while he played mostly the slot in college, he’s made his biggest impact on the outside, especially in the 2020 season, when he was a bigger part of the offense.
The Bucs’ offense under Bruce Arians preferred bigger slots, such as Chris Godwin (6-1, 208). Arians used Larry Fitzgerald (6-3, 218) the same way in Arizona. So Miller didn’t fit the profile.
During the 2020 season, Miller lined up in the slot only 24.1% of his snaps (Godwin was 66.1%, for comparison). The Bucs targeted him deep on 34.6% of his targets, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked second among NFL receivers. Miller had six catches for 244 yards and two scores on such targets during the regular season.
In 2022, Miller took 59.6% of his snaps on the outside. Miller’s speed – he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at his Pro Day – is best used dashing down the sideline. He would replace Damiere Byrd as the Falcons’ deep threat (Byrd averaged 20.6 yards on 13 receptions).
Whether he becomes a regular contributor or remains a cameo receiver is up to Miller. Last season, the Bucs targeted him only 40 times. He had 23 catches for 185 yards without a score.
Miller worked with Mike Evans and Godwin in Tampa Bay, arguably the NFL’s best receiver duo. Evans is the only player in NFL history to being his career with nine consecutive thousand-yard seasons, while Godwin has established himself among the league’s more physical playmakers.
“It was a blessing for me to play with those two (Evans and Godwin) specifically, and all the other great players,” Miller said. “Just to be able to learn all the stuff they did on the field, but also how they went about their work off the field and how they push themselves each and every day. You don’t get to be that great without putting the work in and going out there every day.”
With the Falcons, Miller joins an offense that features London and Pitts as top targets. London commonly was compared with Evans during the pre-draft process last year and has said he models himself after Evans.
Miller has paid his education forward.
“Drake is sort of a similar guy to Mike,” he said. “So I was talking to him about different things Mike did. And Mike’s obviously been in the league a long time and had a lot of success. So just try to kind of give him some things, some tools that Mike did to be successful. But I mean, he’s great in his own right, and all the other guys we have as well. So should be an exciting offense.”
