CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- Von Miller shook his head. He declined to reveal his goals for this season, admitting it might "shock" people. Everything seems possible. He leads the league in sacks. And turns tackles into turnstiles.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips insisted a few weeks ago Miller should aspire to be defensive player of the year. Thursday, Phillips offered an amendment.
"I think he ought to be MVP now," Phillips said. "He's playing at a high level. He's playing at a higher level than everybody else."
Miller faces a new challenge this week, if not month. DeMarcus Ware remains sidelined for a month after breaking his right forearm on Miller's right knee last week. Ware, who had a plate inserted in his arm to promote healing, exists as a situational pass rusher at this point. But no one can dismiss his effectiveness. Beyond his burst, he outthinks linemen, setting them up for later moves. In his place, Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett will be asked to step up. Dekoda Watson also figures to get reps.
Phillips hinted he will look to move Miller around to prevent double and triple-teams. Miller arrived at camp more focused, and credited training six hours a day during his ABC "Dancing With The Stars" appearance for helping his conditioning.
"That work that you put in to be a great dancer has a great correlation to the work that you have to put in to be a great football player," Miller said.
Miller joked that his dream is to play quarterback in the NFL. The Broncos coaches continue to squelch the idea. Even trying it in the Madden video game didn't work. It raised the question: Could Von's dominance extend to him sacking himself?
"That would just ruin my opportunity to play quarterback," Miller said. "I have to stay on my feet to throw great passes."
---------
Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.
