For the second offseason in a row, the Buffalo Bills have a key defensive player working their way back from a torn ACL. Last offseason, it was cornerback Tre'Davious White and this year it is defensive end Von Miller.
Tre'Davious White would end up missing the first half of the season and not returning until Week 12 against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. However, Von Miller guarantees it won't be that long and on Tuesday said he will be back no later than Week 6, according to Matt Parrino with syracuse.com.
The former All-Pro pass rusher didn't say exactly when he will be back and said it could be Week 1 or Week 6 but it won't be later than that. If that is the case, he would return by the Sunday Night matchup with the New York Giants.
Von Miller returning by Week 6 would be great news for the Buffalo Bills
If Von Miller returns this early in the season it would be great news for the Bills defense. This means he will be available to play against most of the best quarterbacks on their schedule this season. That includes games against the Cincinnati Bengals (Week 9), Philadelphia Eagles (Week 12), Kansas City Chiefs (Week 14), and Los Angeles Chargers (Week 16).
The Buffalo Bills ranked near the top of the league in most defensive categories last season but there is no question that the defense was notably different after Von Miller's injury on Thanksgiving against the Lions. This past season, Miller had eight sacks and 12 QB hits in 11 games.
However, his impact goes beyond the stats Miller had last season as other pass rushers like Greg Rousseau benefited from his presence on the field and the pass rush as a whole was better for it. If the Bills hope to make a deep playoff run, they are going to need a healthy Von Miller and the sooner he returns the better their chances are.