Seattle Seahawks News: Implications of Zach Miller Injury
By Colin Floyd
A few hours ago, news broke about a Zach Miller injury most Seahawks fans had not heard about before today.
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An ankle procedure performed during the bye week now has Miller out 5-6 weeks. For starters, the Seahawks already have Jeremy Lane on the injured reserve with designation to return, which means Miller will have to go on the season ending injured reserve list or remain active for 5-6 weeks while filling a dead roster spot.
This also means that Luke Willson is the main man at TE for the Hawks; while adept as a receiver, Willson will need to significantly improve upon his blocking ability in order to become their TE for the future.
Cooper Helfet will also need to step in whenever offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell wants a two-tight end set.
Miller is not a household name when it comes to TEs in the NFL, but in Pete Carroll’s system, he is exactly what you want. A hardworking, efficient blocker and sure-handed receiver when called upon, not many TEs in today’s game offer the complete package that Miller does.
While the offensive line has certainly stepped up its play from 2013, they will need to show no regression as Seattle’s best blocking TE is now out for a large portion of the season. Look for Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin to block more on passing downs as outside rushers look to exploit Seattle’s potential new weakness on the outside.
Miller is expected to miss at least the next two games for the Seahawks, which would be against the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys.
Stay tuned for any updates we hear regarding the severity of the injury.