Anthony Miller Totally Changed How He Prepared After Midseason Nightmare

Anthony Miller wasn't having a fun time heading into November of last season. Fans had high expectations of him. Almost as high as he had for himself. Through the first nine games, they weren't being met. Some might blame his recovery from shoulder surgery but that was an excuse. He just wasn't getting the job done.

Things reached a crisis point at the start of that month. In a two-game stretch against the Eagles and Lions, he had one catch for seven yards. That made for a total of 17 catches for 218 yards and no touchdowns in nine games. By that point the whispers were starting. For all the talking he did, Miller might not be the potential star everyone thought.

It was at this point Chicago Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey says the light finally went on for the 25-year old. That was when his preparation for games changed.

“In the middle of the season, I believe Anthony really started having an idea and understanding what it takes not just how to step inside the 4-inch line and go play football, but how to start developing himself as a professional through a process leading up to a game,” Furrey said. “He started doing that and he started seeing the results from that.

“That’s something we’ve been talking about all offseason, continuing to grow him from a maturity standpoint, educating himself on the game, what it takes to become a professional. And I would say right now he’s exceeded his expectations heading into the season.”

Anthony Miller seemed to find his groove after that

Results started to come almost immediately. Miller had 54 yards in Los Angeles against a pretty good Rams defense, then another 77 against the Giants in a win the next week. That's when things really ramped up. In a big comeback win over Detroit on Thanksgiving, he torched them for 140 yards. That final seven-game stretch saw him go for 438 yards and two touchdowns. A substantial uptick in productivity.

He probably would've had more if Mitch Trubisky hadn't missed him when he was wide open a number of times. This is why Furrey and the Bears coaching staff are so optimistic about 2020. They feel Miller figured out what it takes to be great in this league. If he can stay healthy this season, expectations are high. Some rumors say the team can see him topping 1,000 yards if the quarterback play is decent enough.

That would be a welcome sight.