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The Buffalo Bills put on the defensive clamps late in their December 23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, stopping a last-gasp drive after kicker Tyler Bass had given them a 24-22 lead in the final minute of the fourth quarter.
Though the strong performance moved the Bills to 9-6 and helped them move closer to a playoff spot, one high-profile defender came under scrutiny for another in a line of shaky performances. Edge rusher Von Miller registered just one tackle and struggled to generate pressure on second-string quarterback Easton Stick, leading one insider to suggest the team could consider benching him for the final stretch of the season.
Von Miller Under Pressure
Miller has struggled since returning from a torn ACL, registering just two total tackles and three quarterback hits with no sacks in 10 games. Miller again struggled to generate pressure in Saturday’s game, leading some insiders to suggest that he could be benched.
“They either need a play from Von Miller or they need to get him off the field. He’s hurting them at this point,” Matthew Bove, sports director at WKBW in Buffalo, wrote on X.
Addressing Miller’s performance on WGR 550 following the game, reporter Nate Geary predicted that the Bills may need to address Miller’s sharp drop in production and consider benching him.
“It’s the conversation no one wants to have,” Geary said. “I know the team doesn’t want to have it, but they’re going to need to have it soon.”
Geary suggested that second-year defensive end Kingsley Jonathan could give the Bills a stronger presence in the pass rush at this point.
“I’m pretty much at the point where I don’t think you can make a case to have Von Miller on the field over Kingsley Jonathan. We’re at that point,” Geary wrote on X.
This is not the first time that Miller has faced scrutiny for his play. There were also calls to bench him following the team’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, when Miller missed a key tackle late in the game.
The All-Pro has acknowledged that he is slow in coming back from his torn ACL but said he remains confident in his abilities.
“I would love to take these huge leaps and bounds each and every week, but reality is I’m just getting a little bit better each and every week. I’m grateful for that and I can accept that,” Miller said, via ESPN. “This is Year 13 for me, and I just know how it goes. Like, I know I still can play. I know I can still recapture some of the things that I did in the past and the type of player that I was, I know I can still be that and I feel like that’s what’s driving me.”
Bills Could Move on From All-Pro Pass Rusher
Aside from his uneven play on the field, Miller has also come under pressure from his off-the-field legal troubles. Miller was arrested in Dallas on allegations that he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend, with the Dallas Morning News reporting that he faces a charge of assault of a pregnant person, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Reporter Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News reported that the Bills could have an opportunity to move on from Miller after this season.
“If Miller is suspended by the NFL for violating the terms of the personal conduct policy, the #Bills could then void the remaining guarantees in his contract, which includes his $17.145 million base salary for 2024,” Skurski wrote, adding, “If that happens before the start of next season, the #Bills would see a significant salary cap savings.”
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