On September 8th, 2020, Broncos linebacker Von Miller endured a season-ending injury on the very last play of practice. He dislocated a tendon in his ankle and went through an MRI, which then confirmed the fear. The Super Bowl 50 MVP is likely to miss the entire 2020 season and need surgery.
Von Miller has not missed multiple games since 2013 when he missed 7 games due to suspension. He has consistently been the vocal point in Denver’s defense finishing with 8 sacks in 2019. He led the team in sacks in 2019 and has done so for 8 of his 9 seasons.
Last year was the first time in five years he did not have double-digit sacks. The injury to Miller will drastically affect the defense, but also will give other players to shine. Bradley Chubb is set to take his spot at ROLB, but Chubb is still healing from his ACL tear in 2019.
With the release of LB Todd Davis, Denver has Bradley Chubb and Mark Barron now as the main LBs. The Broncos tried to sign Clay Matthews to replace Miller, but both sides failed to reach an agreement. Without Miller, there is a major hit to the effectiveness of the Broncos’ pass rush.
Denver plays some of the best offensive lines and some of the best QBs in the league this year. And don’t forget they play in the same division as Patrick Mahomes. In a way, this time away could be a good thing for the Broncos. They get an early glimpse of life when the 31-year-old Broncos great decides to hang em up.
Can the Broncos overcome this injury?
With the future Hall of Famer now out, the Broncos are less likely to succeed in 3rd down and red zone situations. The Broncos ranked 19th in allowing 3rd down conversations and allowed 18 touchdowns. I believe the defense will suffer and be ranked in the lower half of run defense, sacks, and red-zone stops.
Von averages close to 12 sacks per season, and has a career total of 106 sacks. Denver went 5-2 without him in 2013. They even won last year against the Chargers in Week 13 without him. The 8x Pro Bowler, 3x First-Team All-Pro, and 2011 DROY will hopefully be back as soon as possible, 100% rested, ready, and healthy.
