Raiders’ Miller anchors Oline
The Raiders’ offensive line has been a rotating cast this season — with one exception.
Kolton Miller, the secondyear left tackle, is the lone offensive lineman who has started all 15 games. He’s also the only Oakland player who hasn’t missed a snap this season. And he hasn’t appeared once on the injury report.
Asked this week if he takes pride in durability, Miller turned and rapped a knuckle against the wooden siding of his locker.
“Just fortunate to not be too banged up,” Miller said, “and try to work on my technique so I don’t get in those bad spots.”
Last year’s 15th overall pick, Miller started all 16 games as a
rookie and played 96.7% of snaps, but did so after sustaining a significant knee injury in Week 4. It was part of a trying first season for Miller, who allowed 16 sacks and 42 quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF rated him 61st among tackles in runblocking efficiency.
Miller, quiet in demeanor, remained that way during his struggles.
“He never once and has never made an excuse for his play or his performance,” offensive coordinator Greg Olson said. “But I’m sure (the injuries) had something to do with it.”
In 517 passblocking snaps this season, Miller has allowed six sacks and 25 quarterback hurries, as the Raiders have given up the NFL’s fewest hits (47), sixthfewest sacks (27) and rank 13th in rushing.
As the constant on an offensive line that has used eight starting combinations, Miller appears to have responded well to his rookie trial, said position coach Tom Cable.
“It’s hard, what he went through,” Cable said. “And you’re getting scrutinized at that position because you’re there on the edge and everybody sees whatever mistake happens.
“But I think it also kind of hardened him. It grew him up a little bit. And this year, he has been able to handle adversity, whether it’s in the game, a nick here and there, whatever it is.”
One sign of growth, Cable said, is that when Miller has allowed a sack or hit, “he’s been able to fix the problem right there and finish a game by closing a guy out.”
“The worst start was in
Minnesota, and then he settled down,” Cable said of the Raiders’ 3414 Week 3 loss in which Derek Carr was sacked four times. “Other than that, we’ve been able to run the ball to him (or) away from him. The few times when a guy’s hit the quarterback on him, he’s been able to fix it.”
One of Miller’s roughest games last year came against Seattle, when edge rusher Frank Clark recorded 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles rushing from Miller’s side. Seattle traded Clark to the Chiefs last offseason. In two games against Kansas City this season, Miller did not allow a sack or a hit, which he cited as another sign of progress.
Last year, “I got caught a lot of times off balance or not stable with footing,” Miller said. “This year when I faced him again, I felt I was in a better spot most of the time.”
Miller said powerrush moves gave him trouble at times last season, something he wanted to address this year along with adding weight and muscle.
“Last season, I would open up, and when you get caught with a onehanded bull (rush) on the inside, it brings up your inside leg so you’re stuck in a bad spot,” Miller said. “So being able to kick my stance a little bit more, when bull rush happens, I’m able to sit and be in a good spot.”
Olson said Miller is “able to anchor much better than he was a year ago,” and that: “You don’t see the push you saw a year ago on that side.”
Left guard Richie Incognito has been a factor, too. Miller described Incognito as a “dominant force” who has “kind of rubbed off on me a little bit.” Cable described that as a “big brotherlittle brother relationship” and said though Incognito “can be very thoughtful and methodical,” Miller has “a little wild side to him, a little bit like Richie.
“Every day, (Miller) is kind of being pushed and prodded by Richie to do more, be more. And I think that has really closed the circle for Kolton in his development. I think the guy is a young star. He’s going to be something special going forward.”