After suffering a concussion during Pittsburgh's narrow victory over the Baltimore Ravens two weeks ago, Steelers tight end Heath Miller is practicing today and should be active this Sunday against the New York Jets. Miller passed post-concussion tests, and head coach Mike Tomlin described him as having "absolutely no symptoms."
Obviously, this is great news for Miller, who endured one of the most gut-wrenching hits in recent memory (video). Ravens linebacker Jameel McClain crushed the tight end on a short pass, bending Miller's head back like a Pez dispenser. (Seriously, the video is not for the squeamish.) Although McClain was not flagged on the play, he was fined $40,000 by the league.
Miller's presence on Sunday will be critical for the Steelers to continue their four-game winning streak. Jets coach Rex Ryan likes to leave his defensive backs in man coverage and bring lots of pressure on passing situations. That means safety coverage on Miller. Expect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to look to his tight end in such situations, as Miller runs lots of sticks, outs, and slants to beat the blitz.