Why I love Von Miller, By Tori Toney
We are thrilled to have recieved another wonderful post from our friend in Florida, Tori Toney. Tori was raised in Colorado, is stranded in the South, and LOVES the Broncos. Tori’s most recent contribution deals with Denver’s defense and it’s outstanding rookie linebacker, Von Miller. Enjoy. Follow Tori on Twitter @torsterrr
I’m not one of those people who is going to sit here and act there isn’t something freaky going on with Tim Tebow’s miracle comebacks. I’m not going to talk about how it’s more than Tim Tebow winning these games, because I believe Tim Tebow is a contributing factor in all of it. I am just as amazed by the guy and his work ethic as anyone else in Broncos Country (only I’m not because having watched him at Florida I knew what he could do). However, above all things, this season has made me realize just how much I missed having a kick ass defense! I love Von Miller!
Since I have a young Broncos fawn, I have loved the defenses the team has had. I am a defense junkie. Denver was always known for having the Elway-run offense but the defenses of old were a force to be reckoned with. The defense is that part of the team that determines how much of a factor the 12th man is. They can bring the fans up or really beat them down. A good defense is fun to watch and awesome to brag about. Yet the past several years, the Broncos once feared defense was the joke of the NFL. Gone were the days of Randy Gradishar and Steve Atwater. We had the era of an aging Champ Bailey and an injured Elvis Dumervil.
The Denver Broncos defense has been one of the worst in the NFL for the past two years…but this year all of that has changed. Between the mythical powers of Tim Tebow and the explosiveness of this defense, the Broncos are fun to watch again. More importantly, fans don’t have that feeling of dread when their defense has to take the field anymore.
My favorite part of this shiny new defense is our rookie outside linebacker, Von Miller. Von Miller has 11.5 sacks so far on the season, which is tied with Jevon Kearse’s for the 3rd most sacks by the rookie in NFL history through Game 13 and is also tied for the Broncos team record for most sacks by a rookie (Rulan Jones in 1980).
Miller is currently the front runner to receive the NFL Defensive Rookie Player of Year AND was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his role in the win over the Jets. To put into simpler terms: the dude is a beast. Just as great as it is to be an out of state Broncos fan and hear people talk about the magic of the offense, it is equally as great to not have a defense that is being laughed at anymore. A huge reason for that is the threat of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil, the “Doom and Gloom” tandem the Broncos have coming off the line right now is no joke. The Broncos have a defense again, and it is a serious one. I have missed it so much. It is awesome to know that offense are spending hours and hours studying these players, because they know they will pay for it if they are not fully educated. Even when they have, the opponent pays for it regardless.
