Bills' Non-Josh Allen MVP: Stefon Diggs or Von Miller?
Quarterback Josh Allen is unquestionably the most important player to the Buffalo Bills, and probably one of the five-most valuable players in the entire NFL given both the importance of his position and the incredible skill-set he possesses.
But who is the second-most important player to the Bills? Pro Football Focus recently set out to answer that question and settled on pass rusher Von Miller.
"Miller was Buffalo’s highest-graded defender last season, at 85.8 overall. Through Week 12, when Miller was active, the Bills ranked third in team pass-rush grade," PFF wrote. " ... The Bills have to be better in the trenches if they want to make a Super Bowl run. It starts with a healthy Miller."
The former Super Bowl MVP was excellent in parts of 11 games for the Bills last season, recording 12 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for a loss, eight sacks and a forced fumble before tearing his right ACL. Given that he's had surgery on this knee twice and is 34 years old, it's fair to wonder if Miller will be ready for Week 1, even though he's suggested he plans to be. There's no question, though, that the Bills will need Miller come January as they look to navigate through a loaded AFC playoff field.
But while Miller might be the biggest x-factor for the Bills this season -- and is certainly one of the most important players on the team -- we would question if he's more important than All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs. In three seasons with the Bills, Diggs has 4,189 receiving yards. Given that Buffalo has struggled to develop a consistent No. 2 pass catcher to compliment Diggs, it's hard to imagine what Ken Dorsey's offense would look like without No. 14.
The reality is that if the Bills hope to avoid another disappointing postseason exit in 2023, all the names we've mentioned -- along with the likes of cornerback Tre'Davious White and linebacker Matt Milano -- need to elude major injuries this season. Part of making a deep playoff run is just managing to stay healthier than other contenders.
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