Two years ago, Denver Broncos’ outside linebacker Von Miller has put a big goal for himself, wanting to have 30 sacks in a single season. This year, however, Miller decided to set sights on a more realistic, yet still ambitious objective. He aims for a 20-sacks season.
In case Miller actually manages to get to 20 sacks in a season, that would also help him to achieve one of his long term goals which is to have a go at Bruce Smith’s all-time sack record of 200. He is currently on 98 sacks in eight seasons (12.25 per year) while Smith, on the other hand, played 19 seasons and averaged 10.5 sacks per season.
“I feel like I haven’t even made it halfway yet,” – Miller recently told the team’s official website. “I’m going on nine [seasons]. We had Bruce Smith at our pass-rush summit and I talked to him about it a little bit. He played 20 years and averaged 10 sacks a season. That’s right where I’m at with it. Hopefully, I can get one of those 20-sack seasons. If I can get one of those in, it’ll put me ahead of the pace. I’m still feeling good. I told [Bradley] Chubb today, ‘I’m old but I’m still good. I still feel good out there. I still look good, Chubb?’ And he was like, ‘Yes.'”
It turns out that Von Miller isn’t the only one who believes 20-sacks season might be a realistic achievement, even in this year. According to Broncos’ new head coach Vic Fangio, if Miller “does all the little things,” he has a chance to reach his goal.
“If he does all the little things that are necessary to do that, he’s definitely got a great chance to do that,” – said Fangio. “But the little things are going to make the difference for him. And it’s not just on the field, it’s off the field. Preparation, rest — all those things. Being attentive to the details and technique.
The closest Miller came to 20-sacks season was in his second year as a pro when he managed to have 18.5 sacks.
