Von Miller curse: Was Miller the source of the Broncos' and now the Rams' problems?
It was a day Von Miller and the Denver Broncos knew was eventually going to come. Miller had done a lot for the Denver Broncos in the decade he had been with the organization, but it was time for both to go their separate ways. The Broncos were 4-4 and on a 1-4 skid. With a season on life support, the Broncos wanted to maximize their return for Miller and give him a shot with a contender.
The Broncos without Von Miller
However, after trading Miller, the Broncos are now 6-5 and can get first place in the division with a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. A month ago, this would have seemed impossible. That said, convincing wins over the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers have challenged that idea. The Broncos feel like a rejuvenated team with Miller out the door.
I feel like if you have Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Jalen Ramsey all on the same defense and you’re still giving up 30 points and getting zero sacks against a team missing three OL starters, then maybe talent isn’t the problem.
Fans were bracing for the worst, but instead, the Broncos could be rounding a corner. The pass rush may be even better without Miller than it was with him on the team. Since moving Miller, the defense has given up 23 points, 16 points, and 13 points in subsequent games.
The Rams with Von Miller
When the Rams landed Von Miller, fans were euphoric. It seemed that the Rams had leapfrogged the rest of the NFC to land in first place in the Super Bowl rankings. Having Aaron Donald and Von Miller on the same team seemed like a cheat code and something that could only happen in Madden. As a result, no team was going to get time to throw, and their offense would cave under pressure.
Von Miller: "We've got all the tools necessary to push through this lull that we're in, man. I'm super excited for the Rams for sure."
At the same time, the Rams' offense was humming with Matthew Stafford dominating in most weeks. Later, the acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr. seemed to be a cherry on top. That said, there was just one problem: none of this has taken place.
Since getting Miller, the Rams are 0-3 and very close to free fall. The slide started the game after getting Miller and hasn't stopped since. How could the Broncos start winning without Miller and the Rams start losing with Miller?
Of course, superstition dictates that Miller was cursed after Super Bowl 50 and dragged the Broncos down with him. When he went to Los Angeles, he took the curse with him. This is not a real thing. Instead, adding Miller likely made the Rams stop working as hard and made them expect wins to simply happen.
Almost a month later, it is clear the Rams need to refocus and treat each game and practice with the same respect they did pre-Miller. To be fair, the Rams just endured a tough stretch of games, playing the Tennessee Titans, San Francisco 49ers, and Green Bay Packers in back-to-back weeks.
This week, the Rams face the Jacksonville Jaguars in a get-right game. If the Rams cannot beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, it will be time to push the panic button. Even if the game is close, the Rams will be crestfallen and officially in free fall. If they cannot beat the 2-9 Jaguars comfortably, their season is essentially over, based on their goals of winning the Super Bowl.