There aren't a lot of underappreciated Pittsburgh Steelers. As a team that spent most of the season on prime time or in national 4:15 p.m. games, any Steeler who stood out was seen all around the country.But if there is one Steeler who could be considered a sleeper, it's tight end Heath Miller. Miller is one of the keys to the Steelers offense, but because most of his work is done blocking defensive ends and linebackers for the Steelers running game, he doesn't put up the numbers to be noticed.
Today, he may change all that. If you look at the matchups between the Steelers offense and the Cardinals defense, Miller may be the Steelers best mismatch. The Cardinals corners are pretty solid (especially Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie) and the Steelers offensive line issues could keep Pittsburgh from developing a consistent running game.
But it's hard to figure out who will cover Miller effectively. Strong safety Adrian Wilson is one of the better safeties in the league, but his strength is run support and blitzing. Thanks to stiff hips, he's not nearly as effective in man-to-man coverage. And when the Cardinals are in their 3-4 defense, Chike Okeafor, the strong-side outside linebacker, would be out of his element trying to cover Miller 20 yards downfield.
Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby is probably the Cardinals best choice to cover Miller, but where he lines up on most plays means he'll rarely get the chance. The Cardinals could play a lot of zone which would allow them to handle Miller, but their blitzes require that they play man coverage a good bit of the time and players like Rodgers-Cromartie are at their best in man coverage.
Miller can split a zone or beat a linebacker or safety up the seam, but the Steelers usually only throw him four or five passes a game. If Hines Ward is limited and the Steelers running game can't get going tonight, that might change today.
