Bills' Von Miller won't let his affection for the Broncos get in the way of his playoff objective

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Von Miller is as competitive as he can be sentimental, which is why the Buffalo Bills edge rusher won’t utter a negative word about the Denver Broncos.

The memories are too fond, and the 10-plus seasons he spent in Colorado too meaningful. Denver is where the three-time All-Pro established himself as one of his generation’s top pass-rushers, earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 and won his first of two Super Bowl rings nine years ago.

And it makes no difference to Miller that the Broncos — a team much different from the one he left via trade to win a second Super Bowl with the Rams in the 2021 season — are standing in the way of what could well be the 35-year-old’s best, last chance to win a third title.

“It’s all love. I can’t even start to play that delusion of hatred,” Miller said Wednesday, with Buffalo (13-4) preparing to host Denver (10-7) in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday.

Don’t confuse Miller’s nostalgia for weakness. He'll be amped up once the ball is snapped.

“Those small three- to four-second bursts, when I’m playing the game, that 60 minutes when I’m out there, I want to win. I want to beat the Denver Broncos,” he said. “I’ve got to go through these guys to get to where I want to go.”

The past meets the present and potentially the future in a matchup between teams that reached the playoffs by taking altogether different paths.

Led by NFL MVP candidate Josh Allen, Buffalo overcame the challenges of a major offseason roster purge to run away from the division to clinch a fifth consecutive AFC East title on Dec. 1. The Bills are making their sixth consecutive postseason appearance and are eager to change the narrative of being second fiddle to Kansas City in the playoffs after being eliminated by the Chiefs in three of the past four years.

The Broncos overcame lowered expectations, and a major hole in their salary cap by releasing quarterback Russell Wilson, to clinch the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot — and their first since winning it all in 2015 — on the last day of the season. The promise in Denver is the fast-tracked development of rookie Bo Nix solidifying an unsettled quarterback position and an attacking defense that led the NFL with 63 sacks.

The fascination is how much further Denver can go with nothing to lose and well ahead of schedule in its second season under coach Sean Payton.

“It sounds cheesy, but most people, they literally didn’t expect us to be here, so we might as well continue to not worry about those things,” said Nix, who didn’t complete his first touchdown pass until Week 4 but still finished with 29, two shy of the NFL rookie record.

“Those guys have done a lot of winning in the past,” Nix said, referring to the established quarterbacks in the playoff field, “so I’ve got some catching up to do.”

In Buffalo, there’s belief this might be the Bills’ chance to finally make a statement.

Despite several new additions, the Bills have enough veterans to feed off past playoff collapses. And even though their defense has dealt with inconsistencies, the Bills have a do-it-all quarterback in Allen and a more balanced offense featuring the added threat of a James Cook-led running attack.

And there’s optimism that the Bills enter the playoffs on an upward trajectory as opposed to past seasons. Two years ago, the Bills' psyche was irreparably altered following safety Damar Hamlin’s near-death experience two weeks before the postseason. Last year, Buffalo's offensive identity was in flux with a midseason change at coordinator and receiver Stefon Diggs questioning his diminished role.

“This year, we’re kind of just playing ball and we ... haven’t played our best game,” cornerback Rasul Douglas said. “We just got to put it together and find a way to all be on the same page at the same time and peak.”

Miller time

Miller feels fresh after playing 25% of Buffalo’s defensive snaps, being used mostly in passing situations this season. He also missed four games while serving an NFL suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

“I’m fresh and I’m ready to go,” said Miller, who finished tied for second on the team with six sacks after failing to get one last season.

In the trenches

The contest pits a Broncos defense that set a single-season record for sacks against a Bills offensive front that allowed only 14, the NFL’s fewest since 2009. Allen’s mobility also contributed to the success.

“I think it’s one thing to get him down, but then the other thing is how many times do we see him come off the initial tackler,” Payton said. “How do you bring him down? Who can bring him down?”

Brady, please don’t go

With offensive coordinator Joe Brady attracting consideration for head-coaching vacancies, Allen flashed a wink when asked what he has meant to the team this season.

“Nothing. He hasn’t done anything for us. Teams should stay away from him,” Allen said, breaking into a smile when referring to Brady, who is completing his first full season in the role. “No. He’s been fantastic.”

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John Wawrow, The Associated Press