Wade Phillips thinks Von Miller can be even better than last year
Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips thinks star pass rusher and SB50 MVP Von Miller can be even better in 2016 than he was in 2016…
Is it possible for Super Bowl MVP Von Miller to get even better in 2016 than he was in 2015?
Actually, when you think about it, it’s really not out of the question. Miller was great last season, but he’s not unanimously the best defensive player in the NFL right now. Some (most) would probably say it’s J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans. Some analytics people might say it’s Aaron Donald of the Rams.
Some might even say it’s Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers.
This is no slight to Von Miller, of course, but it’s reflective of the opportunity he has to improve on last season and build off of one of the most individually dominant postseasons of a defensive player that I can ever remember seeing.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, speaking to the media after Thursday’s OTAs, gave his opinions on how Miller can build off of his phenomenal finish last year…
“I thought Von came on really stronger at the end of the year. He had a good year overall, but at the end of the year—he finished the season with 11 sacks in 16 games and then he had five sacks in the playoffs. If he plays on that level, he certainly can.”
While Miller impacts the game in a number of other ways than just getting sacks, Phillips isn’t wrong. He thinks Miller has shown the ability to play at a league-MVP level.
“I had [Houston DE] J.J. Watt at the Texans and at the end of his first year in the playoff game, he really came on. You could see all the things he could do. It’s the same thing with Von here. Von has been great before this, but he played at a higher level. He played at an MVP level. Not just defensive MVP, but league MVP, really, the last of the year. I’m sure that will be the challenge for him.”
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Of course, Miller’s going to have to get a new contract before anyone can talk to him about playing at a league MVP level, and his new deal will certainly dictate it, whenever that comes about. Deadlines spur action, but Broncos fans would rather not have to wait until July to have their best player back in the fold.
The sooner the better, because we all know that Von is capable of playing at a league MVP level like Phillips said. We just want to know that he’s going to be doing it in orange and blue for the rest of his NFL career…