How impactful was Anthony Miller by down in 2017?
After going through the entire Anthony Miller season on tape, it stood out that he was consistent. Even in things that were inconsistent, like his hands, it was consistent how often he dropped one.
So with that said, was Anthony Miller much of a different player on any particular downs? Was Miller money on third down, or did he soak up yards on first down? We take a look.
First down
In 2017, Riley Ferguson was 52-71 targeting Miller. That equals a 73% completion rate. 714 yards or 48.8% of the total yardage came on first down. He averaged 10 yards per attempt his way and 26% of his receptions went for first downs while 14% went for touchdowns. Overall, 40% of his first down receptions went for a first down or touchdown.
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Second Down
On second down, Miller was 29-45 when targeted. At 64%, it is slightly lower than his first down success rate. However, second down is also when Miller appears to be able to break off big gains. He averages 13 yards per reception on second down. 584 of his yards were gained on second down, and he had a 31% first down rate and 13% touchdown rate to combine for 44% of his targets going for a first down or touchdown on second down. Overall he was less efficient in terms of accuracy, but overall more explosive in terms of yards per attempts, and first down rate.
Third down
Third down is the money down for defenses, so it is no surprise to see lesser stats from Miller. He was 12-23 on third down, a 57% completion rate. He averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt, which definitely was brought down due to the completion rate. Still, 30% of his targets went for a first down, although only eight went for touchdowns. Still, overall 38% of his targets went for six or a chain movement.
Fourth down
Lastly, Miller was 2-2 on fourth down with two first downs and 22 yards.
Overall, Miller was fairly consistent from down to down. Despite a lower completion rate on third down, his success rate was still in line with the other downs. Being in first and long and second long occurred more often than third and long and most of Miller’s targets came on third and short. To have the consistent success rate from down to down is a great sign to see moving forward.