of the Cardinals last night Tramaine Brock Jersey , Von Miller made it clear that his Wednesday promise Denver would do just that was never about the team on the opposite bench.It was always about his own squad.“Honestly, it wasn’t even for the Cardinals; it was for my teammates. It was just to put us in that mentality, no backing down now,” said Miller, who contributed two strip sacks to his own challenge. Having the taste of four consecutive losses in their mouths, Miller knew the Broncos needed a change of pace. Rather than cliche Instagram posts saying “Back to the lab” or “Just gotta keep grinding,” Miller went with a bold claim his teammates would have to back up.Because he knew they would.Oh, it worked. The defense alone was responsible for two touchdowns via pick-sixes from Todd Davis and Chris Harris Jr., another interception by Bradley Roby in the end zone, 13 QB hits and six sacks, including two of the ball-stripping variety, both by Miller.“I come up out here and stand in front of the podium and point the finger at myself and say, ‘I have to do a better job, I have to do a better job.’ It’s great to go out there and do your job. I was able to get some sacks today,” he said Su’a Cravens Jersey , praising the great inside push from Derek Wolfe, Zach Kerr and Shaquil Barrett to help make those happen. “We just started the game on fire – Todd Davis with a pick six, then a couple plays later Chris Harris with a pick-six. My teammates, they played unbelievable today.”Rookie edge rusher Bradley Chubb added a pair of sacks to the half-dozen total, reigniting Broncos Country’s faith in the Miller-Chubb dynamic duo. But No. 58 reminded us what is needed for their pass-rushing to be dominant - a threatening inside rush plus an intimidating secondary.On Thursday, the Broncos’ defense finally had its trifecta in working order.“It just shows you what type of defense that we have,” Miller said. “We got two great outside rushers, but honestly it’s not even about us, we got a great inside rush. It doesn’t work unless you get the type of pressure that we did from Wolfe, Shaq, Shelby and Zach Kerr. And then the no-fly zone today, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby played unbelievable tonight. So, when everybody is firing on all cylinders like we did tonight, it’s easy for me and Bradley to do what we do.”Chubb, who is now fourth on the list of the season’s sack leaders with 6.5 (and whose team mentor sits atop the list with 7.5) Jared Veldheer Jersey , said the defense’s dominance against the Cardinals was absolutely in part a response to Miller’s challenge.“It starts with your leaders, and when your leader publicly said, ‘We’ll kick their ass,’ I feel like, as a team, we just have to rally around that and prove him right,” Chubb said, adding that he couldn’t even remember all the players responsible for turnovers (and who could blame him? It was hard to keep track). “Everyone just did a good job as a defense, and I feel like we’re getting our identity back.”The Broncos will have a true test of that identity in 10 days when they face the AFC West leaders and one of the league’s most prolific offenses in the Kansas City Chiefs. Playing again on the road - but against a team it nearly beat at home two weeks ago - the Broncos defense will have to contend with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Kareem Hunt.So is Von Miller prepared to issue any predictions for the Chiefs to rally his teammates?“You have to catch me on Wednesday.” Broncos General Manager John Elway didn’t have a problem with quarterback Joe Flacco saying that his job is to win football games rather than mentor second-round pick Drew Lock and Lock doesn’t seem to have any issue with it either.Lock flew into Los Angeles on Wednesday night to attend this year’s NFLPA Rookie Premiere event and avoided injury when a shuttle taking him and fellow Broncos rookie Noah Fant from the plane to the terminal got into a crash. He couldn’t avoid a TMZ.com reporter asking him about his relationship with Flacco.Lock said he didn’t have a comment on Flacco’s view, but said that he’s gaining knowledge from Flacco whether the veteran is calling it mentorship or not.“He’s taught me a lot so far,” Lock said. “He’s dealing with trying to win football games, I’m dealing with trying to learn. We’re in the same quarterback room. He’s been great to me.”Flacco’s desire to remain a starting quarterback doesn’t come as much of a surprise and the best-case scenario for the Broncos will be for the older quarterback to play well enough to afford the younger one a chance to prepare as much as possible for his own turn in the spotlight.
