ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sports makes no sense sometimes.
Von Miller, for instance. He no doubt was a great player and he’s still a good player. Yet, since playing his last game for the Broncos in game 7 at Cleveland, Denver has gone 3-1. And those second-round and third-round draft picks from the Los Angeles Rams await.
Meanwhile, the Rams, were 7-1 before they acquired Miller and have gone 0-3 since he arrived.
The overwhelming feeling around Broncos Country when Miller was traded was one of profound sadness. The Broncos, 4-4 at the time, appeared doomed from missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. To the contrary, the Broncos have played so well without Miller, they will be playing for the AFC West Division lead this Sunday at Kansas City.
What gives?
"I honestly think it was like a kick in the butt," said Bradley Chubb, who had been Miller’s edge-rushing partner. "Von when he was here he did so many things. Super Bowl MVPs, 20 sacks, 10 sacks and doing that consistently.
"Might have some guys around here that got a little comfortable and when you see a guy like Von Miller get traded you’re like, "Oh. We can trade anybody around here.’ That’s one of the best players to come through Denver. When we traded him it gave everyone that sense of urgency. Nobody’s job is safe. Nobody can stay here and do whatever they want. We all have got to kick it up a notch and this team took that message and everybody’s been playing well and it’s been fun to see, fun to be around, fun to be in those meetings engaging with those guys and seeing how they take that intensity to the meeting room, to the practice field to the game field. It’s been fun all around."
Miller had 4.0 sacks through the Broncos first three games to earn the AFC Defensive Player of the Month Award. He had a half-sack in a game 4 loss to Baltimore, but none since as the season moves into week 13.
Nor has Miller played for a winning team since the Broncos’ week 3 shutout of the New York Jets. For a player good enough to have brought the third Lombardi Trophy to the Broncos’ franchise with his dominating performance in Super Bowl 50, it makes no sense.
Bronco Bits
Head coach Vic Fangio says he believes safety Kareem Jackson (neck/shoulder) and left tackle Garett Bolles (COVID-19) should return to play against the Chiefs. …
Left tackle Calvin Anderson will miss time and will likely land on injured reserve with a knee injury, but for now it doesn’t appear to be as serious as it looked when he was carted off the field Sunday. …
Left guard Dalton Risner, who left in the second quarter with a back injury, is expected to be fine, Fangio said. …
Fangio said he thought quarterback Teddy Bridgewater came out fine from the shin injury that knocked him out for the second quarter Sunday.
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