The Denver Broncos know how to get to the quarterback. Against any line, against any scheme, against any passer, Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are going to wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
But it’s not just because they’re more talented, more athletic, than anyone else out on the field; it’s because they always remain on the offense.
“I feel like, even though I play defense, I have a totally different outlook on what I do,” Miller said on Thursday. “My position is more of an offensive position; offensive linemen are trying to stop me from getting to the quarterback. My position is just different, and I just have a different outlook on how I’m supposed to play my position.”
And it makes sense. At the end of the day, the end goal is the same for everyone on the football field: Get to the ball and move it towards the end zone.
Just as it’s the offensive tackle’s job to stop the outside linebacker from getting to the ball in the backfield, it’s the cornerback’s job to stop the wide receiver from getting to the ball in the secondary.
“To me, I think I use the analogy of a guy like [CB Aqib] Talib and a wide receiver,” Ware said on Thursday. “Talib is usually someone that’s defending a guy, and a guy like Demaryius Thomas is the pass ‘pass rusher’ trying to rush the passer, so you flip it so now the offensive tackle is like a cornerback; he’s shielding me while I’m the ‘offensive guy’ or Von is the ‘offensive guy’ trying to really—we don’t ‘catch the ball,’ but get the quarterback sacked.”
And it helps when you have a ton of firepower to throw at the “defense.”
It’s the same in every sport. When a team is tasked with defending multiple weapons, it becomes very difficult. And with the Denver Broncos pass rush, their oozing talent out the stadium. Between Miller, Ware, Derek Wolfe, Shane Ray, Shaquil Barrett and the rest, Denver has three to four guys they can send at the quarterback at any given moment, and it works.
“I’ve said it,” Miller said. “We got two great rushers, and we got rushers all across the line, so it’s just like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. When Klay Thompson, they got two on him, then Curry takes the shot. When they have two on Curry, then Thompson takes the shot. We’re not the ‘Splash Brothers,’ but we get it in.”
And “get it in” they do.
Last year, the Broncos knocked Andrew Luck out for the season. This week, they’ll need to apply the pressure again if Denver wants to remain undefeated on their repeat campaign.
