4 Reasons the Buffalo Bills should be concerned about Von Miller’s injury

Miller’s impact on the Bills defense cannot be overstated

Von Miller’s impact on the Bills defense cannot be overstated. Signed last offseason to a six-year $120 million free agent deal, Miller was well on his way to earning every dollar of that with eight sacks over his first eight games with the Bills.

Overall the Bills defense ranked atop the NFL in DVOA in 2022. Many other rankings had them at or near the top of team defensive rankings as well, and under Leslie Frazier they have consistently been an elite defense. However, losing Miller, a key piece clearly hurt, and despite the offense scoring more points down the stretch, the Bills struggled to put games away.

Their struggles were on full display throughout the playoffs. Even win over the Dophins was a struggle as third-string Miami quarterback Skylar Thompson nearly ended their season in the Wild Card round, before Joe Burrow and the Bengals beat the Bills in Buffalo. In both games, the defense struggled to create pressure on the quarterbacks and disrupt their offensive timing.

Especially in big games, the Bills inability to generate pressure and force mistakes has become a glaring weakness. Miller is the type of player who changes the dynamic of a defense and not only creates this pressure, but also draws coverage away from other players, opening up lanes for them and making the entire defense better.

If the Bills are going to make a deep run in the playoffs next season, they will need a fully healthy Von Miller, and should be focused on giving him both sufficient time to rehab his knee, and also sufficient rest throughout the season in order to keep him fresh for four extra playoff games. To do this, they will need depth that they do not currently have on the roster.