There is only one quarterback Von Miller wouldn’t dare hit.
The second-year will be up for defensive player of year in a few days and it won’t be surprising if he wins it. Miller accounted for 18.5 sacks, a Broncos record, six forced fumbles on one of the stoutest defenses in the NFL. The earned another trip to the Pro Bowl, becoming the first Broncos to go in their first two seasons.
But he won’t touch Peyton Manning; that thought won’t even cross his mind.
“Not even close,” laughed Miller on the Dan Patrick Show Wednesday, saying there’s an imaginary five-yard bubble around the future Hall of Fame quarterback. “We’re not going to win any games in practice sacking the quarterback. I stay all the way away from him.”
The separation is necessary, but they are working off each other every day despite their distance.
It should be no coincidence to point out that the Broncos offense, Manning breaking Denver records for completions, completion percentage and touchdowns in a single season, was amongst the best in the league (2nd in points per contest, 30.1, and 4th in yards per game, 397.4). They had to face one of the best defenses at Dove Valley every day; the Broncos defense, led by Miller, were atop the NFL in sacks (52.0) and second in yards given up per contest (290.8).
The success for Manning and Miller correlate, and rightly so, but their processes are incongruent.
“If Peyton Manning is yelling at us then we’re having a wonderful day at practice,” said Miller. “We’re doing too much laughing and all that stuff trying to get a rise out of him.”
I guess being ‘hands-off’ isn’t such a bad thing after all for Miller.
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