Last year Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was the talk of The
National Football League as he passed for over 4,000 yards in his rookie
season, but there was a defensive rookie that had a tremendous impact
as well. Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was the second
overall pick of The 2011 NFL Draft behind Newton and he helped The
Broncos win The AFC West last year. At 6’3″, 237 lbs., Miller has that
rare blend of strength and speed. Miller’s speed off of the edge allows
him to run around offensive tackles in The NFL as he is giving up at
least 80 pounds to. Miller also has tremendous leverage that allows him
to beat offensive tackles as most have a few inches of height on him as
well.
In his last two seasons at Texas A&M University, Miller
totaled 27.5 sacks. Due to his size, many NFL scouts felt that Miller
would be best suited for the 3-4 defense as opposed to the 4-3 that The
Broncos run, but Broncos head coach John Fox knows how to work with
elite pass rushers. While Fox was the defensive coordinator of The New
York Giants he coached defensive end Michael Strahan and the two made a
Super Bowl appearance together in 2000. When Fox became the head coach
of The Panthers in 2002, his first draft choice was defensive end Julius
Peppers and The Panthers went to The Super Bowl in 2003. Both Strahan
and Peppers have tallied over 100 sacks in their careers.
In
Miller’s rookie campaign, he totaled 11.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl
appearance and The Associated Press’ NFL Defensive Rookie of The Year
Award. In his second year, Miller already has 10 sacks which is second
in The NFL behind Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. Miller is
teaming with Broncos defensive end Elvis Dumervil to give the fans in
The Rocky Mountains a glimpse at the new “Orange Crush” defense. The two
combined for 21 sacks last year and they already have 17 in 2012.
Broncos
defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio has done a good job of lining Miller
up at different spots on the field which doesn’t allow opposing
offenses to get a fix on him. Miller has lined up at defensive end,
outside linebacker, and inside linebacker. Dumervil and Miller have even
lined up on the same side of the defensive formation which cuts down on
the chances of either player being double-teamed in the pursuit of the
quarterback. Sacks tend to come in bunches and in the last two games
Miller has come on. In Week 9 against The Cincinnati Bengals, Miller
sacked Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton three times. Miller followed this
up by sacking Newton once yesterday in The Broncos 36-14 victory over
The Panthers in Charlotte.
Miller is also benefiting from another
teammate, but it isn’t a defender. Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning
has assumed control of the offense and he has Denver playing from ahead
this season as opposed to tight contests last year when Tim Tebow was
The Broncos starting quarterback. Last season The Broncos averaged
scoring 19.3 points per game, but this year the team is averaging 30.1
points per contest. When teams are trailing they tend to pass more
which will allow Miller to pin his ears back and bring the noise.
In
three of Denver’s next four games they will face each AFC Western
Division foe which starts this Sunday as they host The San Diego
Chargers as they look to solidify their hold on the division lead.
Philip Rivers of The Chargers, Matt Cassel of The Kansas City Chiefs,
and Carson Palmer of The Oakland Raiders are quarterbacks that are not
known for their footwork which means that Miller could be off to the
races. Denver’s secondary has benefited from Miller’s relentless pursuit
of the quarterback as well. Last season, The Broncos defense was only
able to record 13 interceptions. This season the defense already has 10
picks on the season. In The Broncos win over The Panthers, Miller’s
pursuit of Newton forced an errant throw that was intercepted by Broncos
defensive back Tony Carter and returned 40 yards for a touchdown. The
Broncos will more than likely win The AFC West and they hope to have
bigger things on the horizon once the postseason rolls around. Manning’s
presence has taken Denver by storm, but you cannot forget about the man
from Dallas, Texas in Miller that is as good as advertised and he is
coming soon to an opposing backfield near you.
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