Miller on Sanders Trade: 'We Want People That Want to Get it Right With Us'

Denver Broncos star linebacker Von Miller has faced up to increased scrutiny all season long as he has registered only a half-sack more than the number of wins put up by his struggling team.

Speculation of an absolutely crazy trade scenario including the Broncos best player has also, at times, been postulated as part of the proposed John Elway rebuild.

In the wake of the Emmanuel Sanders trade, this week has seen Miller open up his own feelings and frustrations candidly, as he has opted to now focus on the remainder of the team’s schedule.

“I just try and fast forward to the next game and put all our eyes on the next game," Miller said on Thursday. "I have another opportunity to get it right this coming up game because there's really not much that I can say about it.”

Miller has so far not put up his customary headline-grabbing sack numbers but he has played hard and selflessly in his efforts to turn the Broncos fortunes back around. His inherent problem is that when sacks are the currency you deal in, you tend to be measured in the amount you bank.

Perhaps what is required more at this point in time for the Broncos troubled season is vital leadership. Von has always striven to be the go-to guy in his own locker room and has seen many great leaders walk away from the game, such as Peyton Manning and his own mentor, DeMarcus Ware.

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As his old teammates continue to leave town, Miller is faced with a fight to not become the captain going down with his sinking ship. From his high profile position as one of the NFL’s elite players, he opted for a show of positivity.

“I’m trying to get there, getting pressure and stuff, getting close to them," Miller said. "Just not being able to make that play.”

By reasserting how close he is to once again being the Broncos crucial game-changer he appears to be reinforcing how important the merits of the continued grind are in his own success and that of his team. For a player who is used to personal adulation off the back of highlight-reel sacks, the team's mounting losses must only be adding to his frustration and pain.

Von faced up headfirst to the recent departure of his fellow Super Bowl-champion former teammate in a manner that left no shadow of doubt about how passionately he feels about being a Denver Bronco.

“We want to get it right," Miller said. "We want people that want to get it right with us. We want people who want to be Broncos.”

Such straight-talking is a rallying call to his own teammates and the entirety of Broncos Country and follows on from what his boss, John Elway, spelled out earlier in the week. Fans will immediately cast their eyes to this Sunday’s road trip to Indianapolis to see whether the blunt talk galvanizes the Broncos cause and provides some much-needed hope and optimism.

Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.