Houston Texans running back Lamar Miller helped lead his team to an important victory over the Tennessee Titans Monday night with a huge game that was highlighted by a 97-yard touchdown run, and the fear of getting heckled by his teammates apparently allowed him to break away from defenders.
Earlier this season, Miller was chased down before he could score a touchdown after he ripped off a 58-yard gain against the Miami Dolphins. He heard all about his lack of speed in the locker room after the game, and he said that was on his mind as he sprinted toward the end zone on Monday.
“My whole mindset is, ‘Just don’t get caught,’” Miller told reporters, per Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle. “The last time we played the Dolphins, I got caught. All the guys were giving me a hard time, so that was the only thing on my mind.”
Miller admitted he was “tired” after the run and hasn’t run that type of distance at top speed in a long time. He also acknowledged that he looked over his shoulder to make sure Titans defensive back Adoree’ Jackson wasn’t going to catch him.
“I seen him [Jackson] out of the corner of my eye,” Miller said. “I was just thinking, ‘Don’t get caught, just keep running.'”
In real-time, Miller looked like one of the fasted players in the NFL as he was charging toward the end zone. Had it not been for his shortcoming earlier in the year, perhaps he would have been a tick slower.
