Cam Miller captures fans’ hearts with preseason heroics

It took Cam Miller some time to get his offseason going in the right direction.

A sixth-round pick out of North Dakota State, a path to playing time was not guaranteed. Up until last week during the Las Vegas Raiders’ mock game at training camp, Miller was not making too much noise. It was looking like the Raiders were going to go the expected route of Aidan O’Connell backing up Geno Smith, while Miller would get some much-needed development time.

After Thursday’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks, however, those plans may have changed considerably.

Miller was the undisputed MVP against the Seahawks.

Coming in to the game in the fourth quarter with the Raiders down 23-13, Miller did his part to help his team make a furious comeback bid.

On his first drive, Miller showed impressive poise in the pocket, helping the Raiders make steady progress down the field. Then, Miller found wide receiver Shedrick Jackson for a 41-yard touchdown strike that put the Raiders within shouting distance of the Seahawks.

Then, on the final drive of the game, Miller found Jackson again on a surprising sideline throw that gave the Raiders the chance to kick a game-winning 55-yard field goal, but kicker Daniel Carlson’s attempt was blocked to force the 23-23 tie.

All in all, it was an impressive outing for Miller in his first taste of NFL action, going six-for-seven on his passing attempts for 76 yards and the touchdown.

By comparison, O’Connell’s game looked more shaky. He did go 18-of-30 for 205 yards and a touchdown, but two second quarter interceptions put the Raiders on the back foot at points. It was surprising to see Miller come in and look like the more polished of the two quarterbacks, suggesting that the gap between the two on the depth chart continues to narrow.

Expect to see more of Miller during the next preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 16.