Do Buffalo Bills Have a Von Miller Problem After Loss to Cincinnati Bengals?
The Buffalo Bills’ Week 9 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals was as deflating as it was predictable. Time and time again, Buffalo has shown what kind of team it is.
Whether that’s a coaching, front office, or talent issue is a separate conversion that could have consequences come January, but for now, certain on-field matters have to be addressed.
The Bills sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow once on Sunday en route to a 348-yard, two-touchdown, “oh that’s what he looks like when healthy” performance. The injuries the defense had sustained were always going to make Cincinnati difficult to stop, but when the pass rush struggled to leave its fingerprints on the game, the writing was on the wall.
Von Miller
© Jamie Germano, Democrat and Chronicle
The Bengals controlled the game basically the entire way, winning 24-18 and showing they’re in a different class than Buffalo.
One lingering issue has been the recovery of edge rusher Von Miller, whose season ended last season at the hands of an ACL tear. To this point, a pretty productive pass rush had covered up his absence. When the unit had a down day, Miller’s struggles became more clear, only emphasized when he got beat on the edge by Bengals running back Joe Mixon on the game-sealing third down run that allowed Cincinnati to kneel out the rest of the clock.
“I’m still working, still trying to get back,” Miller said. “This was the best that I’ve felt. I let the coaches know during the game that ‘I feel real good today,’ so physically I’m right where I want to be.”
As good as he may have felt, he delivered another goose egg. Through four games, he has just four pressures and his 8.8-percent pass-rush win rate ranks 79th out of 115 edge rushers with at least 67 snaps rushing the passer. Of the same sample, his pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 101st.
He’s been invisible in the box score, limited in his playing time, and a liability in the chances the Bills continue to give him as he tries to get back to full health.
In giving him that least, they are sacrificing the potency of their pass rush.
But can you blame them? Miller earned every cent of his six-year, $120 million contract. Buffalo is going to give him every chance to make that deal look less like an albatross.
“I’m making strides to do what I want to do and be the player I want to be,” Miller said.
Until the production follows, Miller’s words may fall on deaf ears. He is the answer, for better or worse, and that shouldn’t provide the Bills with much confidence until he plays as well as he says he feels.
