It’s been quite a week for Zach Miller. Started with a one-handed snag of a bullet from Jay Cutler on Monday night that was probably one of the half dozen most impressive catches by anyone this season. One-handed catches are pretty routine, but this one had a vapor trail behind it.
Six days later, Miller raise the bar another notch, with a pair of touchdowns at St. Louis. The first touchdown went for 87 yards, tying the longest by any tight end in the last 40 years.
It actually should have been the longest. In the opening game of the 2006 season, Heath Miller caught an 87-yard touchdown against Miami, but replays showed the Miller actually should have been marked down at the 1-yard line.
Not bad for a guy who was primarily an option quarterback at Nebraska-Omaha. The Jaguars drafted Miller in the sixth round in 2009. He had catches of 52 and 62 yards in his first two seasons for them but never carved out a big role. Miller played well in his only preseason game for the Bears last year, catching 6 passes for 68 yards and 2 TDs, but then spent the entire year on injured reserve.
Miller isn’t related to the Zach Miller who played for the Raiders and Seahawks. That Zach Miller, ironically, had an 86-yard reception in 2009.
In the last 16 years, only 24 tight ends have had seasons with a long catch of 70-plus yards.
| TIGHT ENDS: LONG RECEPTIONS OVER 70 YARDS (2000-15) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | No | Yds | Avg | Long | TDP |
| 2006 | Heath Miller, Pitt. | 34 | 393 | 11.6 | 87 | 5 |
| 2015 | Zach Miller, Chi. | 10 | 165 | 16.5 | 87 | 3 |
| 2009 | Zach Miller, Oak. | 66 | 805 | 12.2 | 86 | 3 |
| 2001 | Marcus Pollard, Ind. | 47 | 739 | 15.7 | 86 | 8 |
| 2005 | Marcus Pollard, Det. | 46 | 516 | 11.2 | 86 | 3 |
| 2002 | Shannon Sharpe, Den. | 61 | 686 | 11.2 | 82 | 3 |
| 2014 | Jordan Cameron, Clev. | 24 | 424 | 17.7 | 81 | 2 |
| 2014 | Luke Willson, Sea. | 22 | 362 | 16.5 | 80 | 3 |
| 2012 | Lance Kendricks, St.L. | 42 | 519 | 12.4 | 80 | 4 |
| 2011 | Jared Cook, Tenn. | 49 | 759 | 15.5 | 80 | 3 |
| 2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 100 | 1106 | 11.1 | 80 | 10 |
| 2004 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 25 | 423 | 16.9 | 80 | 5 |
| 2007 | Visanthe Shiancoe, Minn. | 27 | 323 | 12.0 | 79 | 1 |
| 2004 | Matt Schobel, | 21 | 201 | 9.6 | 76 | 4 |
| 2015 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 49 | 806 | 16.4 | 76 | 8 |
| 2013 | Julius Thomas, Den. | 65 | 788 | 12.1 | 74 | 12 |
| 2009 | Vernon Davis, S.F. | 78 | 965 | 12.4 | 73 | 13 |
| 2014 | Coby Fleener, Ind. | 51 | 774 | 15.2 | 73 | 8 |
| 2011 | Brent Celek, Phil. | 62 | 811 | 13.1 | 73 | 5 |
| 2008 | Tony Scheffler, Den. | 40 | 645 | 16.1 | 72 | 3 |
| 2012 | Tom Crabtree, G.B. | 8 | 203 | 25.4 | 72 | 3 |
| 2004 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 81 | 964 | 11.9 | 72 | 13 |
| 2010 | Fred Davis, Wash. | 21 | 316 | 15.0 | 71 | 3 |
| 2003 | Marcus Pollard, Ind. | 40 | 541 | 13.5 | 70 | 3 |
—Ian Allan