Will Anthony Miller fade or take off for Chicago Bears against Atlanta Falcons?
The Atlanta Falcons is ripe to be beaten. If Anthony Miller cannot take advantage, should the Chicago Bears be concerned?
One of the more surprising developments from Sundays win against the New York Giants was Anthony Miller being fourth amongst Chicago Bears wide receivers in snaps played. After a drop early in the game took four points off the scoreboard, Miller was targeted just three times all game and dropped another to give him two on the game.
With the ascension of Darnell Mooney, and Javon Wims having a role as a strong blocking tight end with the box out ability, all of a sudden the room is getting crowded for Miller. The player who was locked into being the number two wideout is not just as close to being the number four.
There is no doubt that the Chicago Bears are going to want to go back to Miller on Sunday, too.
After giving up five catches for 42 yards against the Seahawks, Dennard was attacked relentlessly by the Dallas Cowboys. He allowed 11 receptions for 118 yards in that game.
More from Bear Goggles On
- Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
- How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
- The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
- Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
- 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears
Over two weeks, Dennard is 16-20 when targeted allowing 160 yards and nine first downs. He is struggling, and there is a reason he was not signed until late in the summer.
The Bears have drawn up one-on-one matchups for Miller in each of the first two weeks. He excelled against Detroit and did not against New York.
For Miller, it almost does not matter who the competition is. For him, it is a mental hurdle of being in the right place at the right time, running the correct route, and seeing the ball all the way in. Still, considering Dennard has been struggling, if Miller can get those fundamentals down, he is for a monster day.
On the other side, if he is not ready to take the step, the Bears need to act quickly. Allen Robinson runs a good percent of routes from the slot as well. If the Bears want, they can stick Javon Wims on AJ Terrell, Darnell Mooney on Isaiah Oliver, and give Robinson the juicy matchup of Dennard.
The Bears need to give Miller a shot to show that he is engaged early. If they hit, keep attacking, and if not, they should not be afraid to leave him fourth in snaps for the second straight week.