No complaints from Steelers’ Miller for lack of use
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller (83) catches a pass in front of New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty (32) in the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2015, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) walks on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game againstthe San Francisco 49ers in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger is back. The Steelers hope their high-powered offense picks up where it left off when he went down with a sprained left knee a month ago. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
PITTSBURGH – Two weeks ago, after wide receiver Antonio Brown had a well-documented outburst on the field following an incomplete pass thrown his way by third-string quarterback Landry Jones, Brown got a few choice words from one of his teammates.
And it hit home, not because the words were especially harsh, but because of whom they came from – tight end Heath Miller.
“He’s not going to say too many words,” said Brown. “He pulled me to the side, surprisingly, a couple weeks ago in practice. He said, ‘Hey, A.B., I don’t want to hear you complaining about not getting the ball.’
“It was a surprise coming from Heath. Heath’s not a man of a lot of words. He said, ‘You know it will come. Be ready.’ Hearing that from him, I took that seriously.”
Miller said his heart-to-heart talk with Brown was just another part of his role.
“We talked. We had a conversation. But I’ll keep it between him and I,” Miller said, trying to downplay the moment.
“It’s just part of being a team. Those type of things happen from time to time.”
Don’t expect Brown and Miller to have a similar talk this week as the Steelers (4-3) prepare for a key midseason meeting with the Cincinnati Bengals (6-0) Sunday at Heinz Field.
At least Brown was catching passes with starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out.
Brown had 17 catches in the four games.
Miller failed to catch a pass last Sunday in a 23-13 loss at Kansas City, breaking a streak of 110 consecutive games – including the postseason – in which he had a reception.
“Those things, they’re going to end sooner or later,” said Miller, an 11-year veteran. “It bothered me more that we didn’t play well enough to win the game, and that I didn’t play as well as I would have liked. I probably spent more time thinking about that than catching the ball.”
Earlier this season, Miller passed John Stallworth for second on the Steelers’ all-time receptions list. He was a big part of the passing game as the Steelers played without running back Le’Veon Bell and wide receiver Martavis Bryant. Ten of Miller’s 17 receptions came in the first two games. Then, in Week 3, Roethlisberger suffered a sprained knee ligament and bone bruise in a win at St. Louis. In the four games with Mike Vick and Landry Jones at quarterback, Miller had just five receptions.
With Roethlisberger expected to return against the Bengals, Miller’s lack of use should change. The last time he didn’t catch a pass in a game – at Washington in 2008 – also coincided with Roethlisberger being injured.
“I think Heath is a dynamic player and has been here for a long time,” said Roethlisberger, who practiced fully Wednesday for the first time in more than a month. “He’s a valuable piece of this offense, so we need to include him. All the pieces we have on offense are valuable and we need to keep utilizing everybody.”
Even if Miller isn’t more involved in the offense, don’t expect Brown to pull him aside for a talk.
“Heath doesn’t get enough credit,” Brown said. “The guy goes out there and blocks his butt off, does the dirty work that people might not see. I’ve never seen him complain. I’ve never seen him worry about anything. He always goes out there and does his job to the best of his ability.”
Brown has three career punt returns for touchdowns. All three have come against Cincinnati. … Steelers cornerback William Gay, whose mother was killed in a domestic violence incident when he was young, was fined by NFL for wearing purple shoes last Sunday to highlight domestic violence. … Running back DeAngelo Williams also was fined by the NFL for having “We will find a cure,” written on his eye black in support of breast cancer research. Williams’ mother died of breast cancer. … Linebacker Terence Garvin (knee), defensive end Stephon Tuitt (knee) and Gay (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday. Safety Will Allen (ankle) and Vick (hamstring) were limited.