Von Miller has been Denver's defensive MVP this season. (Jack Dempsey/AP Photo)

Von Miller hit Carson Palmer hard last week. Palmer wasn’t the only one hit, however. Miller took a hit to the wallet after the NFL fined him $15,000 for the helmet-to-chest hit he put on Palmer after he released the ball.

A flag was thrown on the play for roughing the passer.

This week he will step onto the field where his hero used to play. The late Derrick Thomas wore No. 58 throughout his Hall of Fame career. Miller wears the same number and tries to emulate the heroic former Chiefs linebacker.

Miller said that he listened to an interview of Thomas and that’s where his desire to play like him began.

“He said he looked at playing defensive end as being like a running back and the offensive line were trying to block him from getting to the quarterback,” Miller said. “That interview is what made me fall in love with Derrick Thomas, the football player.”

Miller is doing his part to make a name for himself. He leads the Broncos in sacks with 6.5 and he’s a top candidate for the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year.

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No one expected much from the Chiefs’ defense. Ranked 27th in rush defense and 30th in pass defense before today’s blowout, the only defensive highlight for the Chiefs came at halftime when they retired #58, Derrick Thomas’ number.

Correll Buckhalter (12 carries for 113 yds.) took the ball down the field while Knowshon Moreno (21 carries for 86 yds., 2 TDs) pounded it into the endzone. Game. Set. Match. Orton found his buddy, Brandon Marshall, 7 times for 94 yards and a score. Couple that with numerous short dump off passes to the tightends and the Broncos ability to catch the ball, and those 3 Orton turnovers didn’t mean a thing.

The Chiefs on the other hand couldn’t convert in the red zone, dropped wide open passes, couldn’t get a new set of downs, and turned the ball over 3 times, one fumble being returned for a TD by Andre Goodman. If anything could go wrong for the Chiefs, it did. They literally handed the game over to the Broncos after halftime when the Broncos put up 20 points in the 3rd quarter alone.

It was good to set the Chiefs straight. They may have beaten the Steelers and the Redskins which is something the Broncos couldn’t do, but make no mistake, the Broncos are the better team this year. If you still question that, get back to me on the night of January 3rd when the teams meet again, this time in Broncos country.

The stage has been set for next week. In fact, I can already smell the popcorn being popped. Could the Broncos be the team to snap the Colts’ 12-0 record? Could Dr. Doom take Peyton down to the ground. Can the Broncos experienced secondary stop Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon? Can the offensive line fend off Dwight Freeney? It’s all set to go down next week.

Do the Broncos have a good shot at winning in Indy next week? Leave a comment below.