Von Miller returning to form for Buffalo Bills

Anthony Prohaska

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Von Miller returning to form for Buffalo Bills image

Before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Thanksgiving day in 2022, Von Miller was as advertised for the Buffalo Bills. The speed, the athleticism, the bend, the cerebral approach to rushing the passer, were all regularly on display from the big money free agent. After an underwhelming return from injury in 2023, Miller looks to be back in form now in 2024.

Per PFF there are currently 106 edges/defensive ends with at least 20% of pass rush snaps in 2024. Amongst them, Miller is 6th in pass rush productivity (a formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times a player rushes the passer), 9th in win percentage, and tied for 6th in hurries. Against the Miami Dolphins in week 2, he reached his fastest average time to pressure since 2021. 

And while the two game sample size isn’t the biggest, Miller’s strong start within advanced metrics, and more importantly on tape, is extremely encouraging given his importance to the team and what he looked like in 2023.

There were several flashes towards the end of last season that pre-injury Von Miller might be lurking somewhere, but expectations for this season involved a lot of hope when it came to his playing projection. Thus far in 2024 Miller is flashing in ways that not only indicates legitimate health in his knee, but also the confidence to go out and execute regularly without hesitation. 

He’s making plays vs the run in addition to the pass, he’s dropping into coverage, and he’s showing up on the stat sheet. And he’s doing all of that with juice, athleticism, and fluidity in a variety of forms. Something that was very much in question heading into this year. 

Miller’s production, form, and snap share will be something to watch for going forward as the sample size increases and season progresses. With the Bills rotation at edge he shouldn’t have to see too much work vs the run or on early downs, which will help keep him fresh and reduce wear and tear opportunities for him as he moves closer to being two years fully removed from that knee injury. Through two weeks he’s seen 41 pass rush snaps and 15 run defense snaps. Look for that ratio to continue as the Bills deploy him in the most advantageous positions for himself and the defense.

Anthony Prohaska

Anthony Prohaska Photo

Anthony Prohaska has been covering football in a professional capacity since 2019 as a writer and podcaster. He’s currently featured on two podcasts for the Cover 1 Sports Network where he focuses on the X’s & O’s, scheme, structure and analytics of football through a Buffalo Bills lens. Anthony is experienced in player evaluation and scouting, and has attended the Senior Bowl each of the past two seasons in order to put together detailed big boards and positional rankings for the NFL Draft. When not focused on football, Anthony spends his time watching other sports, traveling, and enjoying life with his family and friends.